My Demons
by Hellfire-Princess
Summary: "So they dug your grave." True. "Don't wanna let you down, but I am hell bound." Again, True. "Look into my eyes, it's where my demons hide, don't get too close, it's dark inside, It's where my demons hide." All too true. Can she escape her demons? Will they help her after finding out "What I've done"? (Or what she think she did.) YJ will show, unlike in my earlier fics.
1. Meeting the Main Character

**Too tired for banter, enjoy!**

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^BREAKLINE^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I tear through the streets, heart and feet pounding, trying to run, to get away from them. Trying to protect him, so he won't have to suffer because they don't know, only he knows, if they find out, they'll kill him. I never said goodbye but that won't matter, it's better that way anyways. Finally, tired of running, on the outskirts of the city, they are far behind me. I nearly collapse in exhaustion and lack of food, but I move to the nearest abandoned building, not caring what's inside, and fall asleep.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^BREAKLINE^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

When I come too, the building is empty, much to my relief. I look down at my hands, so much power, such a curse, there's no controlling it, no controlling me. I look up and sigh, time for me to leave, if I stay too long, they could find me, I can't let them, I could kill them. And, no matter how much they hate me, I can't kill them. I try to stand but due to the fact that I haven't slept, or ate, in a few days, I stagger. 'this is a nice place to stay for awhile' I think as I fall and drift back into unconsciousness.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^BREAKLINE^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I wake up, my head pounding and my hands and feet tied, I groan subconsciously, altering whoever has me kidnapped that I am awake. Only they appear to be currently occupied, so I look around and see myself a short ways away from some other captives, also tied up. I look at my bindings and smile, rope, the bindings are made of rope, a burnable - or freezable - material. I look at my fingers and scrunch my face in concentration. A small bead of ice trails from my finger and over the ropes, coating them in ice. I flinch as I feel the ice on my other wrist and curl my fingers into my palm, stopping the flow of ice. I smirk as I break my brittle bonds and start on my legs, as soon as they are coated in ice, I break them too. I quickly clench my fist in my hand, once more stopping the flow of ice before it gets out of control. The others see me free and ask me for help, I gulp and nod, untying the ropes of one person and leaving them to untie all of the other people. Quickly, I run out of the building, away from the other people, away from innocents that could be hurt by my powers, by me. But, in this strangely normal night in the outskirts if Gotham, my escape is stopped by a figure of a boy, cape fluttering in the light breeze.

"I saw what you did, helping the civilians, it saved us a lot of time and kept us from worrying about them. Any idea what the kidnappers wanted?" Robin asks me, still partially concealed in shadow.

"Thanks, I guess and no, I was sleeping in the building and - because I have the worst luck - I was in the wrong place at the wrong time." I say cooly, leaning up against the side of the building.

"How did you get out, there were twenty ropes - two for each captive - but there was not another set of rope for you, only a couple pieces of ice, melting" Robin comments. My eyes widen and I shake my head.

"I can't tell you, Robin" I say, looking down.

"You have powers, ice powers at least, and, by the way your fingers are curled into your fists and the way you're denying you have them, I'm guessing you can't control your powers, right." Robin asks, hands on his hips, I only nod slightly as I look up, into the whites of his mask. "Tell me this, at least, what's your name?" He asks, face softening, a mask of confusion as I let out a breathy laugh.

"My name? I was called many things, none of them nice, in Greek and Latin, never English." I state, my voice bitter at the thought of my father and stepmother.

"What were they?" The Boy Wonder asks, sounding as if he doesn't want to know.

"Daímonas ton Stoicheíon, or Carmina of Elementorum, Puer Daemon, and, less often, Paidí ton Stoicheíon, or Child of Elementorum" I say, seeing if he would catch on.

"Demon of the Elements, Demon Child and Child of the Elements," the Squire of Gotham mutters in disbelief. "How could someone call their own child that? Why would they do that?" He says, more to himself than me.

"You and me both," I say, getting ready to walk away when I hear a gruff and familiar voice.

"Stop," I turn around and lo and behold, the almighty Batman (note the sarcasm).

"What do you want, you can't take me in, we both know that, Bats. You know what will happen." I tell him, and he simply nods.

"Wait! Batman, you know her?" Robin asks, staring up at his mentor.

"Batman was investigating a lead on a man named Tony Zucco, five years ago. His clues led him to a family, a father specifically, a small-time thug. What Batman didn't expect to find was a wife and five kids too. Batman confronted the father, asking - or, rather demanding - for clues: hideouts, shipments, location, people and so on. The father grabbed and threatened the life of the nearest - and youngest - child. The middle child, someone who cared about the lives of their siblings tried to stop her father, but he was of no help. Long story short, the middle child had a genetic mutation, a secret power, this power surfaced when she witnessed the death of her youngest two siblings, first, out of rage. The entire neighborhood was burnt down that night, only 30 survivors out of nearly 200 people who had lived there. All on her head." And, with that mysterious and ominous sentence, I left, already having shared too much. It's a survival instinct, I guess, don't share everything you have, only what you think they need.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^BREAKLINE^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Over time, I ended up staying near Gotham, even though I should be getting away from here, I stay. Maybe it's because I keep seeing Batman and Robin, the latter always trying to coax something about my past out of me, he never gets it. Now, though, it's late fall and getting colder, I'm tempted to start a fire, but I know I can't, not without loosing control. This is how Robin finds me one night, curled up and debating whether or not to use my most dangerous power. He says nothing but comes and sits next to me on the rooftop and hands me a bag, I look inside to see, clothes, I smile up at him and pull everything out.

"This is a deceptively large bag" I comment as I bring out two black leather jackets, two black leather pants, two pairs of black skinny jeans, three t-shirts, two sweaters, a pair of sweatpants, two pairs of shoes and four sets of gloves, two wool, to leather. One leather pair is fingerless, one wool pair has a flap that goes over your fingers and the other two fully cover my hands.

"I noticed his you keep holing you fingers to your body, so I figured the gloves might help." He admits shrugging, going to stand up, but falling back when I tackle-hug him.

"Thanks, Robin" I mutter into his ear, I would be lying if a tear of joy wasn't slipping down my face.

"You're welcome..." He trails off, his face red at the fact he has no clue what my name is.

"Carmina" I say softly, "my little brother always called me Carmina" I explain, heading through the door from the roof to the main building. I go and change in the nearest room and walk out, oblivious to the fact that I am being followed. Out of nowhere, someone clamps their hand over my mouth and I let out a muffled scream and feel a prick in my neck. ' _Sedative'_ I think as everything starts to spin, I look up to see who captured me, but all I can see is a logo, 'CADMUS' before the sedative begins to take affect and I black out.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^BREAKLINE^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 **Me: His did you like it? Sorry if it was a bit rough at the beginning =)**

 **Carmina: Did Firecracker do a decent job of keeping some of my secrets and making me seem mysterious, hopefully so! *leaves to unknown location***

 **Robin: Shell, since I'm the only one here, Stay Whelmed, get Traught, feel the Aster and Crash the Mode!**

 **Me: Firecracker OUT!**


	2. Independence Day & Fireworks

**Hey yo! A guest review on the last chapter informed me that CADMUS doesn't kidnap people, they make new life and experiment on that new life. I want to let y'all know that I know this. CADMUS didn't order the kidnapping but one of the employees did it of their own accord, a vendetta against the main character. He merely contained the main character, until now.**

 **Guest (previously mentioned): I hope that works for you. And I can't promise anything!**

 _ **Breakline**_

 **July 4th**

I hear the door opening, 'is he back?' I think to myself, 'what does he want now?' I have no perception of time, but I know that this man has had me here for a few months. I hear footsteps, four sets of them, one light, two heavy and one fast, in fact, I can hear the fast set faintly, then, they grow louder until they seem to be right next to my door in a matter of seconds. I hear nothing but footsteps until they are almost right outside my door and then one of them speaks.

"Another clone?" He asks, and a gruff and unsure voice answers.

"I thought I was the only one."

"Dude, clone or not, lets see what they look like." A third voice says and the light around my pod turns on, my eyes are still glued shut, yet the light makes imprints in my eyelids.

"C-Carmina?" A familiar voice says, shocked and surprised and light, familiar footsteps sound, moving away. He must be stumbling backwards.

"Dude, you know this chic?" The third voice asks the fourth.

"Yeah, I met her about a year ago and then she disappeared. We need to set her free, KF" the fourth voice responds shakily.

"Um, I'm no hacker, that's your job!" The third voice, KF, exclaims in a 'duh' voice.

"Right, right" the fourth voice responds and only the sound of typing is heard until I can feel my hands, I wiggle my fingers and soon, the paralysis wears off and I tilt my head up and I can see my saviors. Kid Flash, Aqualad, someone who looks like Superman and... Robin. I shakily climb out of the pod and he's there, supporting me as I lean to the ground.

"Robin" I breathe, my voice hoarse, the only noise I've made in months is a scream.

"Carmina, we need to get out of here, I don't know how far we can go before we have conflict, can you stand?" He asks me as the five of us walk out of the room. I nod and we separate.

"Can you still use your powers or did they take it away?" He asks me, oblivious, - no, he's Robin, he's not oblivious to anything in his immediate area - ignoring the questioning looks his comrades are sending him.

"Yeah, I think so, could you back up a bit, it may not be as controlled as it was the last time we met." I say, and he backs away.

"So there's a chance you can ice, or burn, this entire floor?" He asks, I nod and his allies shoot each other looks of fear, I ignore them and focus on my hands, sure enough, flames dance across my fingertips, then they engulf my hands, and before they reach my wrists, I summon ice. Now, beads of ice are trailing from one index finger to the other, and I clench my fists.

"Wow, better than the last time" Robin says as we enter the elevator shaft. "Think you can do this?" He asks, referring to a conversation we had soon after the leaves started falling in September.

"I hope so," I respond and then the five if us launch into the shaft, Robin carrying KF, Super Jr. carrying Aqualad and then I go, shakily using the air flow to levitate myself. Things go smoothly until Super Jr. and Aqualad start falling.

"Carmina!" Robin shouts.

"I can't catch them, I'm barely supporting myself!" I shout back, so he throws a birdarang into the wall and Aqualad catches it as they pass. We soon exit the elevator shaft and, after two close calls involving air vents, motion sensors and staircases, we find ourselves surrounded by odd-looking creatures. I feel something come over me and I black out, when I come to, a hero named Guardian is holding his head.

"Feels like... Fog, lifting. Go, I'll handle Desmond." I recoil slightly at the name maniacal man. Then, I hear his voice.

"I think not, project: Blockbuster will give me the power to restore order to CADMUS." I really recoil at the sight and sound of Desmond, right into Super Jr.'s chest. Desmond sends me a taunting smirk as he drowns the liquid and transforms into a beast, his old skin ripping off to show new skin underneath. He charges at me, but Super Jr. pushed me aside and met Desmond head on, crashing through the ceiling.

"Well, that's one way to bust through the ceiling" Robin mutters as he shoots his grappling gun through the hole above him and enters the room above him.

"You think Lab coat was planning that?" Kid Flash asks Aqualad.

"I doubt he is planning anything anymore" Aqualad comments as he grabs Kid Flash from under the arms and jumps through the gap Robin just went through. I'm last to enter the floor above us, using the wind to give me a boost. I arrive just in time to see Aqualad, Super Jr. and Kid Flash get thrown into a wall, becoming a jumble of limbs, I help them get untangled and the five of us turn to face Desmond.

While the other three attack Desmond I turn to Robin,

"Well, what's the plan?" I ask him, and I take in his smile, the tilt of his head and the way I can practically see a mischievous glint in the whites of his mask. He really wants to blow this place up.

"Just like that warehouse on the waterfront October?" He asks me, and I give him a lopsided grin,

"That one time you ran into me while you were patrolling alone and we stopped some drug dealers?" I clarify, knowing I'm right.

"Let's bring it down," he smirks, pulling up the blueprints of the room. "KF, over here," he calls, he shows the both of us pressure points in the structure. We both go to take then down while Robin, Superboy, as the others are now calling him and Aqualad take 'Blockbuster' down. The bombs in the walls tick off and explode. The ceiling comes down on us, Superboy shielding Robin and I while Aqualad shields Kid Flash.

We emerge from the rubble and the boys acknowledge the fact that we are all alive, me, I'm just staring at the moon, remembering the two, or was it three months I felt as if I really had someone who cared about me. I actually had a friend, even if he always was hiding behind a mask, he didn't judge me on what happened. I felt relaxed around him and now, I guess I still do, nearly six months later, nothing has changed about how I feel around him.

"See, look, the moon," Kid Flash says, snapping me out of my reverie, then, we all see a spot on the surface, growing larger. "Oh, and Superman, do we keep our promises or what?" KF continues, pointing to the one speck that grows into Superman and the entire Justice League. I smile slightly when I see Batman, the whites of his cowl widen slightly and then close, but barely, they look soft, not narrowed in a glare.

"Explain, now" he says, taking his eyes off of me and focusing on the rest if the group.

And so they do, and, while they're doing that, I found my duffle bag that Robin gave me the night I was kidnapped, he must have grabbed it on the way out, or maybe I did. Nearly half an hour later, Superman comes over to talk to Superboy.

"We'll figure something out for you, the league will, I mean, for now, I um, better make sure they get that Blockbuster creature squared away." Yeah, Superman isn't going to win any 'father of the year' awards. I tune back in to hear Batman saying:

"End results aside, we are not happy, you hacked Justice League systems and endangered countless lives. You will not be doing this again."

"I'm sorry, but we will" Aqualad steps forward.

"Aqualad, stand down" Aquaman orders.

"Apologies my king, but no" Aqualad puts his fist to his chest.

"If this is about your treatment at the hall the four of you-" the Flash says.

"The five of us, and it's not" Kid Flash cuts his mentor off.

"Batman, we're ready to use what you taught us, or why teach us at all." Robin says, I mutter that line with him, he's used it so many times. Huh, I guess I really have almost no memory except from the times before I was taken, well that and the pain and Desmond.

"Together, on our own we forged something powerful, important" Aqualad says firmly.

"Why let them tell us what to do, it's simple, get on board or get out or of the way." Superboy says, stepping forward and crossing his arms defiantly. Batman nods at this and turns to his fellow mentors, and after quietly conversing, the Dark Knight looks at us again.

"Superboy, Kid Flash and the Flash will house you until we all meet again."

"Who will take the girl?" The Flash questions, looking at me.

"I have a name, Scarlet Speedster," I announce, wincing at the pain in my ribs as I glare at the Flash.

"The girl should go with her family, Flash" Aquaman states and I back away, knowing how they'll react to me, because I know that the league will take me to them if no one protests.

"No," both Batman and Robin say at the same time, Robin angrily and well, Batman is Batman, but he was angry about it and the other could tell.

"Why not?" The Flash asks me rather than Batman.

"You just took away a relative who had me imprisoned within CADMUS since November and I'd rather not go back to my father." I say, his name bitter I my mouth.

"Again I ask, why not?" The Flash says, doing his best to glare at me, and failing.

"Keep your nose in your own business!" I exclaim, I don't have to tell him why, he doesn't need to know.

"The decision is final, Flash, now, you Kid Flash and Superboy need to leave, as well as you and Aqualad, Aquaman. And with that, they all dispersed as we head to a phone booth. Robin sees my confusion and explains,

"It's a Zeta Tube teleporter, it will take us to Gotham."

Once in Gotham, we got into the batmobile, honestly, not my first time, but that is a story for another day. I wasn't paying attention to the scenery and I was surprised when we stopped, or rather where we stopped. I get out and take a big look around.

"Wow" I breathe,"are we really-?" I ask, no words needed.

"Yep, home sweet Batcave" Robin says, smirking, then, I hear a voice from above us call out.

"I see we have another guest, sir, shall I prepare a room?" The shadowed man asks in a British accent.

"Yes, Alfred, Carmina will be staying with us for awhile" I look and see the origin of this familiar yet new voice. I turn and see Bruce Wayne, and I make my mouth fall open, feigning suprize. I turn to look at Robin, now unmasked and I punch him in the arm.

"Ow! Carmina, what was that for?" He asks me, rubbing his arm.

"You little troll! In October, when we played that guessing game on the rooftop and I asked you if you were Dick Grayson and you said no each time!" I accuse, glaring at him, though I imagine it was ruined by the grin on my face.

"Heh, sorry about that, no more secrets, promise?" He both promises and asks me.

"No more from you, I'm not ready yet," I admit, turning away from him.

"That's okay, Car, just no more lies" he says, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"No more lies" I agree and we make our way upstairs out of the Cave. Dick and I watch a movie and we fall asleep like that, me curled up like a cat and him splayed all over the couch.

 _ **Breakline**_

 **July 8th**

All of us, except Aqualad and Superboy are in our civvies, Robin and I in jeans, sweatshirts, sunglasses and leather jackets. Apparently, I was found in CADMUS with a mask over my eyes, who knows why, I never even noticed. I was also able to grab the bag of clothes I had been kidnapped with, so I have some clothes too.

"Since you five are determined to keep this up and fight the good fight, you'll do it on league terms. Red Tornado will be your den mother, Black Canary is in charge of training and I will deploy you on missions." Batman says.

"Real missions?" Robin asks suspiciously.

"Yes, but covert" Batman answers.

"There's a reason why we have these big targets on our chests" the Flash says, pointing to his own chest.

"But CADMUS proves that the bad guys are getting smarter, Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly" Aquaman throws on his two cents.

"The six of you will be that team." Batman finishes. 'Yes!' I think 'please let it be a girl'.

"Cool, wait, six?" Robin asks, confused, I whack him upside the head.

"Yes, Boy Wonder, can ya count?" I ask jokingly.

"Meet Martian Manhunter's niece, Miss Martian" Batman says as the five of us turn to the Zeta Tubes.

"Hi," she says shyly.

"Liking this gig more every minute" Kid Flash whispers to Robin and I, and he zooms up to her.

"I'm Kid Flash, that's Robin, Aqualad, it's cool if you forget their names." He says as Robin, Aqualad and I walk over.

"Calm down, Kid Idiot," I say, whacking him upside the head.

"Ow," he complains

"Deal with it, KF" I tell him. "I'm glad I'm not the only girl on the team, I'm gonna need some help keeping these screw-ups in line." I comment to Miss Martian and I chuckle as I get 'hurt' looks from Robin and KF. But Robin quickly turns around and calls,

"Hey, Superboy, come meet Miss M." To, well, Superboy and the clone joins the group.

"I like your T-shirt" Miss M. says, morphing her white and red shirt to black and red, the same color as his, a light blush on her face.

"Today is the day," Aqualad says proudly.

 _ **Breakline**_

 **Me: So, how'd I do for recalling the entire episode from memory on a camping trip with no internet?**

 **Carmina: And for keeping my past a secret from the characters and from you all?**

 **Robin: Firecracker will be following the YJ TV show for this series, plus a few extra scenes/chapters.**

 **Me: What do y'all think of these possible superhero names for Carmina?**

 **Hawk**

 **Eagle**

 **Gaea [1] (Guy-ah)**

 **Gaea [2] (Gee-ah)**

 **Serene**

 **Whisp**

 **Carmina: We are also open to suggestion, but only in between today and next weekend! *leaves***

 **Me: There is a reason behind her hiding her identity from the team and the League, so I gave her a mask and sunglasses, like Robin. They only know the name she told Robin, because the only people who ever knew her real name are all dead.**

 **Robin: That's depressing, at least people know my real name. No one knows hers... Yet.**

 **Me: You're determined to find out, aren't you?**

 **Robin: Yup!**

 **Me: *rolls eyes* Take it away!**

 **Robin: Stay Whelmed, get Traught,**

 **Wally: Feel the Aster and Crash the Mode!**

 **Me: Firecracker OUT!**


	3. Visual Aides for You

**I thought this would be good to put up for all of you lovely readers ;)**

 **Carmina: Now, some visual aide since Firecracker has thought up a costume for me.**

 **Me: Carmina in her hero form (she has no hero name yet) wears a hooded cloak, all black, it seems like just fabric but it has the same protective properties as Batman's cape, more, in fact. Under that is a kevlar-protected bodysuit with a utility belt, only holding counteractives for toxins, handcuffs, smoke pellets and counteractive measures in case she looses control over her powers. Her bodysuit has red flames styled on her boots and gloves, white mist styled above the flames a few inches and ice-bluce curves that come from oppisite sides of her waist to her chest and join together at her sternum, moving up and then separating to end at her shoulders. A grass-green colors her utility belt and tints the edge of her domino mask, which is plain black, like the rest of her outfit that I haven't listed as colored. In camoflauge mode, her colors are dulled down, so a dull red instead of vibrant ree, light gray instead of white, dull icy blue instead of a brighter icy blue and a dark forest green instead of a grass green.**

 **Robin: Is this how girls feel shopping for clothes, everything has to be perfect and you can take forever with it?**

 **Me: Most likely, I don't like shopping too much. Is that all, Carmina?**

 **Carmina: To address two reviews- Firecracker knows what she's doing, everything is cryptic and for a reason, flame will only prove her right.**

 **Robin: And that thought scares me.**

 **Me: Anyways, shout out to my fellow author, creator and writer of 'In the Dark', DoctorMerlinRied. First positive review and first person to give me advice on a name. Looks like Serene or Whisp will be the hero name of Carmina.**

 **Robin: Why Whisp?**

 **Me: I like it, but I'm not sure on it yet. Suggestions for names are still welcomed! Firecracker OUT!**


	4. Did the gravestones attack you?

**I'm ba-ack! Now, to address the guest reviews:**

 **Guest 1: Seriously with the hate, calm down! I have reasons behind Bats revealing his identity how he did. And, as a matter-of-fact, Batman is just territorial, it's not just metas he has a problem with. Again, everything is a plan withing a plan.**

 **Guest 2: Yeah, the author's note thing is just something I do, but I'll try not to make them too OOC.**

 **Guest 3: Well, if it's that annoying, I could tone it down. Is it just the OOC stuff with you too? Thanks? Yeah, she's one of my better ones. Yeah, the idea popped into my head and (since I can't draw), I'm going to ask my friend to draw her. Most likely not, so far, no. She will have a pairing though :)**

 **Andy (Guest): Yeah, some people are very confusing. Thanks! Yeah, I'm trying to make her seem strong and powerful yet able to fracture and with little control over her powers. A nice balance, y'know?**

 **Me: members reviews at the bottom**

 **Carmina: Now, without further ado,**

 **Me: Let the chess game commence!**

 _ **(Breakline)**_

 **Carmina's POV**

 **Star City; July 17th; 23:16**

I arrive at the scene late, thanks, Dick. I manage to hear Brick call angrily to Speedy:

"Do you know what I pay for a suit my size?!" I snicker in response to the invulnerable man, soon, Robin's signature cackle can be heard and I take that as my cue to join the fight. Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad try to persuade Speedy to join the team, me, I'm just enjoying the adrenaline and a physical feeling other than pain.

I get close enough to hear Wally comment: "And wait until you see Superboy and Miss Martian. But I saw her first!" He adds as an afterthought, soon after Speedy ends the visit by trapping Brick in foam.

"High density polyurethane foam, nice" KF comments, I just roll my eyes as I drop down by Robin, which earns me a raised eyebrow.

"Who is this? Miss Martian?" Speedy questions Robin.

"No, she's too peppy and, well, green to be me, I'm Carmina, a friend of Robin's and a somewhat partner of Batman, recently rescued from CADMUS." I state bluntly, my hood still covering my face.

"She fits it too, looks like him, dark and broody, yet colorful" Speedy quips, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Bats isn't colorful, I'm more a mix between him and Robin" my comm beeps and I lift my hand to my ear. "Yeah" I respond, hearing his sigh at the other end, Dick beside me smirks, he hears our mentor's noise of frustration at the fact that I can never 'respond over the comms correctly'. It's kinda dumb if you ask me.

"Carmina, report to the cave, I have something I wish to discuss with you." And he hangs up, I turn to Dick, and, with a wave, I flip off of the boxes and head to the Zeta Tubes, thankfully now online, stupid hacker troll.

 **Gotham City, the Batcave; July 17; 23:29**

When I reach the Batcave, I take my mask off and walk up to the Batcomputer.

"What is it, Bruce?" I ask my long-term honorary father.

"I know that you haven't told us anything about yourself yet, but you seemed to adjust fast." I no,not really something I'm too proud of but it's useful. "But, we need you to trust us, I need you to trust me. I know who you are, Adelaide, and you're not alone" at this, even though I'm mad that he pried into my past, I hug him, like I used to when mamma was still alive. "I promised your mamma, and I'll keep that promise" he tells me, his voice muffled by my hair.

"You'd better, _gudfader_ , otherwise mamma will know" I say, my head buried in his chest. I look up at him and smile, "you knew all along, didn't you?"

"Yes" he laughs, "but Dick doesn't, and-"

"I wanna tell him, just a little bit. Tomorrow, can we go visit them?" I ask, curling up in his lap, I'm still small enough to do that, at least.

"Don't you want to go to the cave?" He asks, I shake my head as the Zeta Tube announces the arrival of Dick and Wally, the latter is spending the night.

"That's so cute" Wally comments to Dick.

"I heard that, _genialitet_ " I call sarcastically to Wally, getting up from Bruce's lap and walking towards the boys. "So how did recruiting Speedy go?"

"Lousy" Wally says, scowling, I poke him in the shoulder and take off up the stairs, knowing that Wally is banned from superspeed by Alfred. No surprise, I win and I let out a cackle similar to that of Robin's in victory.

The rest of the night is spent in movies, pillow/tickle fights (the latter Bruce ended by glaring at Wally for trying to tickle me) candy Wally brought in (which they both got little of, an acrobat and a speedster on a sugar high, no thanks, Bruce and I had some though) the night ended with Dick's head on Wally's shoulder, the latter had fallen asleep a while ago. I curled up, my head against Dick's legs, the three of us fast asleep.

 **Wayne Manor, Gotham City; July 18th; 09:05**

I wake up to smell... Mhm, bacon, I get up off the couch, my head was laying on a pillow now, and I can see Dick and Wally in the kitchen. I stretch my arms and yawn as I walk into the kitchen. I sit down with food Alfred already finished and, when Bruce comes in, both Dick and I get even messier hair and I mess up Wally's, who pouted after he didn't get anything.

"How did the three of you guys sleep?" Bruce asks, not looking up from his newspaper.

"Stiff" and "alright" were the answers he got from Dick and Wally.

"What about you, Adelaide?" Bruce notices my lack of response.

"Oh, um, fine," I say, my thoughts already preoccupied.

"Adelaide?" Wally and Dick chorus. I look up smiling sheepishly.

"Oh, yeah, Bruce found out my real name, and we decided I should tell you," I say.

"Isn't that a weird name?" Wally asks and I give him an 'are you bloody kidding me' look.

"Says Wallace 'Wally' Rudolph West, who's best friend is Richard 'Dick' John Grayson." I tell him, snorting, and he gives me a sheepish smile in return. "Besides, my 'weird' name has a meaning." I tell him, "it means 'God has favored me' in my native tongue" I tell them smugly. The glance at each other and smirk.

"Cool, what makes you so special at birth that your mom would name you that?" Wally asks me.

"Reasons" is my only reply as I leave to get ready.

 **East Gotham Cemetery; July 18; 12:07**

I walk to the graves of my mamma and my _systrar_ and _bröder_ and I kneel down in front of them.

"I-I miss you all, I can hope, wherever you are, you've forgiven me, and if you haven't, I hope that I laid the price. I-I'm so sorry too" a tear falls down my face as I mutter a line from a song by heart.

"When the days are cold, And the cards all fold, And the saints we see, Are all made of gold. When your dreams all fail, And the ones we hail, Are the worst of all, And the blood's run stale. I wanna hide the truth, I wanna shelter you, But with the beast inside, There's nowhere we can hide" I stars at the names etched into the stone, the words weighing heavily on my heart. "Help me escape my demons, mamma, _systrar,_ _bröder_ help me." I mutter finally as I stand to leave the graveyard. I feel Bruce put his hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sure they forgive you, Adelaide," and with that, we walk in silence to the car.

 **Mt. Justice, Happy Harbor; July 18th, 13:18**

"So, I went to a graveyard and you all kicked robot butt? I wonder who got the better end of that," I comment, chuckling lightly.

"It seems dunno, Car, did the gravestones attack you?" Wally asks and I smile.

"Naw, but the gravestones were pretty intimidating" I quip/admit, smiling wryly.

"I have heard that visiting deceased loved ones can act as a sense of closure or comfort." Aqualad comments, a hand on my shoulder, I tense slightly, preparing for Wally's bluntness.

"Are you having problems with closure or comfort?" He asks, concern lacing his voice.

"Dude! She doesn't have to tell us!" Dick reprimands his friend.

"No, it's okay, rude, but tolerable" I tell them, glaring slightly at Wally. "Just problems adjusting, that's all" and we move the conversation from there. We eventually end up trading aliases, and I introduce myself as Carmina, since Robin has already called me that. We watch 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe' and just hang out for awhile, something about missing out on 'social interaction with the team'. Apparently Red Tornado told them that.

 **Later,**

The Zeta Tubes announce the arrival of Batman. He enters the room and we lock eyes, and he nods, Robin and I following in suit. I can hear Wally announce:

"I will never understand how they can do that without telepathy" and a slight chuckle coming from Aqualad.

 **The Batcave; Gotham City**

 **July 18th, 17:33**

"Let me change and we can go out to eat since Alfred is in England now, and I have a feeling you'd rather not have my cooking," Bruce says, walking over to the changing area I look to Dick, confused.

"You do _not_ want Bruce's cooking, at all" he explains, disgust on his face.

 **East Harbor, Gotham City**

 **July 18th, 24:25**

I can feel the rush of adrenaline as I drop down off of the rooftop and onto the thug below, knocking him out. I am surrounded by barely trained thugs as I drop down, avoiding a kick and spread ice onto the cement. I move quickly, sliding underneath thugs and tripping them, keeping perfect traction on the ice and the thugs are taken out in a matter of seconds. I meet up with Batman and Robin and the three of us enter the building, the boys taking everyone head-on, I'm inspecting the weapons. Things get hectic and I ditch the idea of dragging them to the docks to push them into the water, instead, I make a small fire and light the wooden crates. I grab an unconscious Robin and Batman and I make our escape, the building exploding behind us.

 **Batcave, Gotham City**

 **July 19th, 1:13**

"Ugnh, this is why I know hate arms dealing busts" Dick says, sitting up in the Medbay and rubbing his head.

"Eh, you'll live" I comment, helping him off the bed and letting him lean on me as he limps up the stairs.

"Yeah, I've had worse" he agrees as we reach his bedroom; "night, Adelaide" he says before entering his room.

"Goodnight, _bror_ " I whisper to his door as I turn and enter my room.

 _ **Breakline**_

 **Okay, so member's reviews:**

 **DoctorMerlinRied: Thanks! Yeah, I'm not one of those types of people either, but I know a few (cough-mom-cough). You're welcome. Yeah, some people don't like it though... To heck with it, I like it, and I don't care if they disagree with it, it's my story!**

 **Wally: Yeah! Wait- what are we talking about again?**

 **Me: *facepalms* Anyways, to our other member review:**

 **Narutofan978: Thanks! I have two, and Robin is not among them...**

 **Carmina (since she has no hero name yet): Well, that's all! We have votes in for names already, here they are:**

 **Whisp: 4**

 **Serene: 1**

 **Me: remember- you can still choose, I might set up a poll on my profile page. The names are:**

 **Hawk**

 **Eagle**

 **Gaea**

 **Serene**

 **Whisp**

 **Me: Remember, you can send me what you want her hero name to be, I am open to suggestions. But for now...**

 **Wally: Stay Whelmed, get Traught,**

 **Robin: Feel the Aster and Crash the Mode!**

 **Me: Firecracker OUT!**


	5. Drop Zone

**And, guest reviews:**

 **Guest: *facepalms* I have a reason, lemme give you a hint: Adelaide calls Bruce** " _gudfader_ " **it's another language. If you can figure it out, that's a reason why. Another example: Bruce mentions that he promised Adelaide's** _mamma_ **something.**

 **Whisp: That's all for now, let us play this chess game!**

 **Me: I couldn't have said it better myself.**

 _ **Disclaimer: I only own Adelaide and any other OC's that may pop up within the story.**_

 **Caribbean Sea**

 **July 22, 20:08**

Sitting in the bioship I look at Dick, uncharacteristicly quiet on the ride.

"Drop zone A in thirty" Miss Martian reports, and Kaldur gets up, touching the 'A' on his belt, activating camouflage mode.

"Ready" he announces.

'Putting bioship in camouflage mode. " Miss Matian tells Aqualad, who drops into the sea below after Miss Martian create a hatch in the floor. It doesn't take him long to deactivate the sensors for us to drop down to the island.

"Drop zone B" Miss Martian says to the rest of us.

"How cool is this?" Kid Flash asks Miss Martian, his suit now black and red.

"Very impressive" she comments as she changes her outfit into a black one-piece with a red X over her chest, her cape growing longer.

"Uh, that works too. It's not too late to try out the new stealth-tec" Kid Flash tells Superboy.

"No capes, no tights, no offense" Superboy says, crossing his arms. I turn to Miss Martian, now in her stealth-suit as she comments.

"It totally works for you... Er, that you can do good work in those clothes" she comments flustered as she pulls her hood up.

"What about you, miss bright-light beauty?" **(A/N. Sorry if that sucked, I'm not very good at this part of Wally *cringes*)** Wally asks, turning his gaze on me. I roll my eyes and tap the bat-shaped buckle on my utility belt turning my normally bright, vivid and noticeable colors to dimmer and darker tones.

"Hmm, might wanna watch yourself, KF, you might slip up in front of B" Robin comments, attaching a line to his utility belt. Kid Flash does the same as Miss Martian and I prepare to levitate down.

"Knew I didn't need a line" Superboy says, dropping down, creating a crater.

"Yet, creating a seismic event may not have helped much with the 'covert' " Robin replies sarcastically. Miss M updates Aqualad, who tells us to head to the factory, I look at Robin, and he smirks, a familiar trace of a glint in his eyes. The two of us disappear into the woods, I'm not really listening to the comms as I swing through the forest, instead focusing on everything else around me.

"So much for the stealthy" I hear Kid Flash mutter over the comm. I drop into Tue clearing, while yelling at Wally.

"Seriously, KF, is it that hard to NOT screw up for once?" I ask/taunt him as I roundhouse kick a gang member in the head.

"What is wrong with you guys? Remember covert? Why didn't you follow our lead, vanish into the jungle?" Robin asks, making his presence known as he attacks a few people.

"I recognize those uniforms" Robin says after we get everyone tied up.

"They belong to the cult of the Kobra" I cut in, leaning to examine the uniforms closer.

"I am certain Batman would have mentioned it If he knew a dangerous extremist Was running Santa Prisca's Venom operation" Aqualad says.

"Agreed" I add, "he would have warned us if he even had a suspicion."

"And since there's clearly no love lost Between the cultists and those goons, I'm betting Kobra came in and tossed them out" Robin theorizes.

"That's why normal supply lines have been cut off" Miss M explains based off of Robin's theory.

"We get it" Kid Flash says, almost annoyed. "Kobra wanted super cultists, mystery solved radio Bats, and we'll be home in time-" I cut him off.

"These cultists aren't on Venom, does it look like they're pumped up with steroids?!" I ask him, gesturing to the tied-up cultists.

"Well, no," KF says, scratching his head.

"Kobra's hoarding the stuff" Robin buts in. "We don't leave, not until I know why." I look at him, slightly annoyed.

"Until you know why?" Kid Flash asks angrily.

"This team needs a leader" Robin states simply.

"And now, cue the fight about something that so pointless that I'm only listening for amusement." I say quietly to Kaldur, earning a slight chuckle.

"And it's you? Dude, you're a 13-year-old Kid who ducked out on us without a word" KF says.

"And you're a mature 15? You blew our cover first chance you got," Robin points out.

"You both have a point neither of you should lead!" I call to them, as they ignore me.

"Yeah? You don't even have super powers!" Kid Flash taunts

"Neither does Batman!" Robin defends himself, angry.

"Duh, you're not Batman" Kid Flash points out.

"Duh, closest thing we've got" Robin shouts back, and I shake my head. 'I dunno, Boy Wonder, I _have_ known him longer' I think to myself.

"Such clever ninos, but you only know half the story. Let me show you the rest- Get you into the factory via my secret entrance." Bane interrupts the boys' squabbling.

"There is a secret entrance, but he's also hiding something." Miss M says, kneeling down to orbs his mind.

"Ah, ah, ah, chica, Bane is not that easy," he says haughtily.

"He's not wrong, Bats hardly ever gets much outta him" I mutter to Robin.

"He's mentally reciting futbol scores en espanol, this could take a while," Miss M reports.

"It's not complicated, the enemy of my enemy is my friend," Bane says, almost innocently.

"Yeah, right, we better watch our backs, he'll most likely double cross us" I say to Robin as we follow the group.

Once we make it through the tunnel, Robin goes off and disappears, Kid Flash following him; I decide not to go after him, while muttering about them being _"idioter som kommer att få sig dödas."_ Bane decides that he has a plan and begins to attack two cultists, sending us into a fight that we would rather have avoided. We end up getting caught in the fray to a point where we can't fight back too much and are pushed into defense. I keep attacking them with hardened ice, apparently it's good for knocking people out. Aqualad orders Miss Martian to link us up, and she does, allowing Aqualad to call Robin and Kid Flash back over here. KF clears a oath and we all go back into the tunnel, Superboy and Aqualad blocking the dorrway back to the warehouse.

"How could my first leader as mission go so wrong?" Robin wonders and I feel a surge of sadness and compassion for my brother-figure.

"Hey, you did alright, Dickiebird" I tell him, my hand on his shoulder. Both him and KF give me looks for using my nickname to him, but, hey it IS an actual term for a bird and a robin is a bird.

"You do have the most experience perhaps that is exactly what has left you alongside Batman, your roles are defined, you two do not need to talk. But this team is new and a leader must be clear, explicit. He cannot vanish and expect others to play parts in an unknown plan." Kaldur explains and I give him a grateful smile.

"Oh, so I'm supposed to hold everyone's hands?!" Robin says, exasperated. "Who am I Kidding? You should lead us, Kaldur, you're the only one who can."

"Please! I can run circles-"

"Wally, come on," Robin and I both say. "You know he's the one," Robin says pointedly.

"We all do" I say.

"Hello, M'gann, It's so obvious."

"Could have told you" Superboy says.

"Ok. Then I accept the burden Until you are ready to lift it from my shoulders. You were born to lead this team- Maybe not now, but soon." Kaldur says, hand on Robin's shoulder.

"All right" Robin says, grinning. "Sportsmaster's the supplier/buyer, but it still doesn't track. He doesn't have the juice to acquire the blockbuster formula, or to get Kobra to do his dirty work."

"Sportsmaster?" I ask Robin quietly, he looks at me, taking in my facial expression.

"Hey, Car, it's alright he won't recognise you like this" he says reassuringly.

"And neither of them have the chops to bond blockbuster with Venom. That took some major nerdage," Kid Flash says, confused.

\- I believe the expression is "tip of thiceberg."Half niños, I'm feeling... Explosive."

"You betrayed us, why?" Aqualad asks Bane. _**"Kid, you'll need a running start"**_ Aqualad orders over the mind link.

"I want my factory back. So I forced you into a situation Where you would either take down my enemies or die trying. If the latter, the Justice League would certainly have come To avenge their sidekicks. And when the smoke cleared, Santa prisca would be mine once more. Blowing the tunnel with you inside should have the same effect." Bane goes into a monologue.

 _ **"Why is is that all of the villains from Gotham go into a monologue when they have us in a situation where they can kill us?"**_ I as Robin over the mind link.

 _ **"I have no clue"**_ he replies.

"With what? This trigger thingy?" Kid Flash asks, now holding the trigger. Bane charges at KF, but Miss M grabs him telepathically and holds him in the air.

" him." Superboy says, and Miss Martian complies, allowing Superboy to knock Bane out.

"The helicopter is operational, exalted one," A Kobra goon reports.

"Take the shipment!" Kobra orders Sportsmaster.

"Go again?" Superboy asks Mammoth "Sorry, not the plan." Mammoth is shot to the side by a jet stream of water, aimed at him by Kaldur and I.

"Souvenir" I hear Kid Flash say.

"I know you hate getting your hands dirty" I hear Robin comment to Kobra as I see Sportsmaster holding M'gann hostage.

"Thanks for the workout, but I got to fly." I arrive in time to see Superboy catch Miss M and Sportsmaster's surprised look as he sees me.

"I am plagued by mosquitoes." Kobra announces, his foot on Robin's chest.

"Good, 'cause this mosquito's mighty concerted over your pain." Robin says, flipping up, forcing Kobra's foot off of his chest.

"Another time, then" Kobra says, seeing all of us behind Robin, he leaves into the shadows of the trees.

"We picked the right guy to lead" Robin says, the edge of a laugh in his voice. "Automatically making you the right guy to explain this mess to Batman."

 **Mount Justice, Happy Harbor**

 **July 23, 10:01**

"A simple recon mission, observe and report. You'll each receive a written evaluation Detailing your many mistakes. Until then, Good job." We all look at each other and I stare at Dick, a silent conversation going on between us.

 _'Did he really just compliment us?'_

 _'Is he going soft, or did we actually do a good job?'_

 _'I think we actually did decently.'_

 _'Dick, we blew up a factory.'_

 _'Last week, we blew up the warehouse and he didn't get mad.'_

 _'Because he blew it up.'_

 _'Fair point'_

"No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy," Batman says. "How you adjust to the unforeseen is what determines how you choose who leads determines character." And with that, he dismisses us, Dick and I following him to the Batcave.

 _ **Breakline**_

 **Guys, accept the fact that I have a plan for the series and don't question it ;)**

 **Firecracker OUT!**


	6. Schooled: Part 1

**I apologise for what was previously here, it was unacceptable, and I can hope you will forgive me for it., full apology in the next chapter.**

 **Guest 1: THERE IS A POINT! Yeesh, I've been dropping hints like crazy (for me) you think some people would know what I'm trying to get at. *sighs* Doc? I'm starting to feel like we need to spell it out for people.**

 **Guest 2: Don't I know it?**

 **Alright, now that that is over with, on with the chess game! Advance my pawns! *cackles madly***

 _ **I only own Adelaide or any other OCs that may pop up in the story. Nothing else is mine.**_

 _"Mamma? " I ask, crawling into my mother's lap as she knits a blue scarf for one of my brothers._

 _"Ja kära du?" My mother asks, looking up from her knitting and smiling._

 _"Varför är inte min pappa här?" I ask, tilting my head to look up at her._

 _"Vad menar du , Adela?" She responds, setting her knitting on the table and taking me in her arms._

 _"Olivia, Julia , Dominick och Carters pappa lever med oss , och vi känner honom . Varför vet jag inte min pappa ? Varför han inte leva med oss?" I ask, true, Bruce was here with Mamma more than Charles - Charles was never at home, always going to work or a nearby bar on a whim - but at least he came home. My Pappa was never here, I don't even know him._

 _"Du ser , Adela , brukade jag gillar din far , men en dag , kärlek dog , vi inte älskar varandra längre. Det var inte tänkt att vara." She explains and I smile, hopping off of her lap to to look at my baby sister in the other room._

 _(Breakline)_

 _"I'm looking for Mr. Charles Cloverdans."_ **(shout-out to my friends who had to suffer through Mrs. Cloverdans this school year. You're finally free!)** _I can see Gudfader Br- Batman in the doorway and I quickly move out of the way for him. Charles is in the living room and I run into the room, but Batman grabs my wrist._

 _"I need you to move around, let me handle him, alright?" He asks me, and I nod, running to the kitchen. I hear the sounds of scuffle and a strangled shout come from the living room; I poke my head in and gasp._

 _"Domi" I whisper as I can see a drunken Charles holding a knife to my youngest sibling's throat, threatening to slit it. I get so mad, very mad, and I see red; I can hear screams, thuds, but all I can see is red. Eventually, only one scream lingers and it stops when I begin to see black._

 _ **~~~~~~~~~~~~Breakline**_

 **Wayne Major, Gotham City**

 **August 3, 9:36**

"Adela, Adela, wake up!" A voice wakes me up, and I curl into a ball on reflex and start hyperventilating.

"Adelaide, calm down" a deep voice commands gently, but the words have little affect on me, so, Bruce trys again. "Adelaide, lugna ner , det var bara en mardröm . Allt är okej nu , snälla, lugna ner ." I look up at him, tears shining in my eyes.

"Is it, gudfader, is it really?" I ask, uncurling and hugging him. I can feel his stiff suit and I realise that he must have done some work in the office earlier today.

"Sometimes it isn't, no, but right now it is" he whispers to me, then, releasing me from the hug he states. "Better get ready, you have training at the Cave today, Alfred insists on a decent breakfast and I want to get in some training as well." And with a groan coming from both Dick and I, the boys leave, allowing me to dress in my purple and white training outfit.

After eating a hearty meal of an apple and two slices of toast (dam that cereal-hogging Boy Blunder), and a good two-hour training session with Bats, Robin and I head over to the Cave in our costumes.

 **Mount Justice, Happy Harbor**

 **August 3, 12:56**

Recognized: Robin: B01, Whisp: B05" the metallic voice of the computer announces our arrival to the Cave. Hearing this, Wally jumps up off of the couch and speeds over to us.

"Hey, you guys wanna play air hockey?" He asks, looking excited; I look at Dick and he sighs.

"Yeah, Rob is gonna play you, I think I'll watch" I say, as Kaldur comes in from the kitchen.

"I will watch as well, perhaps I will play the winner" he states, joining me at the sidelines. After a seven minute match, Wally ends up winning and he begins to play Kaldur.

 **Mt. Justice, Happy Harbor**

 **August 3, 13:06**

They're only at it for a few minutes when Superboy comes in, walking through the game, ending it.

"How was Metropolis" M'ggan asks and I jump a bit, not knowing when she came in, because I hadn't seen her. Superboy doesn't answer and the Zeta Tubes announce the arrival of Black Canary and Martian Manhunter. "Uncle J'ohnn!" The Martian exclaims, flying into her uncle's arms. I feel a twinge of loneliness, remembering my nightmare, and I look up at the sound of footsteps, Superboy is leaving the room.

"Stick around, class is in session" Black Canary announces, stepping into a circle which lights up. She begins to go into a speech about battle - one Dick and I have heard many times from Bruce - and I begin to pay attention when she announces: "I'll need a sparring partner" and I go to raise my hand, but Wally stops me.

"Right here, yeah, after this, swish" he exclaims, throwing away his banana peel... And missing the trash can. "I'll show you my moves;" BC smirks and throws a punch, which he blocks, then, she performs a sweep-kick, knocking him off of his feet. I smirk and call out:

"Hey, Mr. Cool, you may want make sure that your 'moves' don't end up with you on the floor, like your banana peel." I know it's weak, but it's enough to tint his cheeks pink.

"Good block, but did anyone see what he did wrong?" BC asks, helping Wally up.

"Ooh ooh, he hit on teacher and got served?" Robin suggests.

"Dude!" KF exclaims, rubbing his arm.

"Banana peel" I say, using my perfected Batman voice, causing Wally to nod hurriedly and superspeed over to the fallen peel and put it in the trash can. Chuckling sightly, BC explains to the rest of us:

"He allowed me to dictate the terms of-"

"Please, with my powers the battle is _always_ on my terms. I'm a living weapon, and this is a waste of my time." Superboy cuts in, crossing his arms defiantly.

"I doubt he would be saying that if he was talking to B" I mutter to Dick and Wally.

"Which version of him?" Wally whispers back.

"Prove it," Canary states, getting into a defensive stance, Superboy mimicking her.

"Both" Dick and I whisper in unision. We watch in slight and guilty amusement as Canary floors Supey twice. Angry, he pushes her hand away and tries to leave the room.

"Training is mandatory" she calls after him as Batman's face appears on a giant holo-screen.

"Batman to the cave. Five hours ago, a new menace attacked Green Arrow and Black Canary. The attacker was capable of studying, then duplicating The powers and abilities of its opponents. Arrow called in reinforcements, which nearly proved disastrous As our foe gained more and more power with each new combatant." He states, his face emotionless, and I remember that he was either in Metropolis or at the manor during the time of the attack. Thank the gods that the android didn't get Batman's fighting abilities, the league would be half dead and we would be goners if we had to fight it.

"Whoa. One guy with the powers of the entire League?" Robin asks, eyes wide in shock.

"In the end, it took 8 leaguers to defeat And dismantle the android" Batman says, ignoring Robin's interruption.

"An android?" I ask, amazed that an android could do this

"Who made it, T. O. Morrow?" Robin asks, at the same time I ask my question.

"Good guess, Robin. But Red Tornado doesn't think so" Batman answers and I turn to look for Tornado.

"The technology bears the signature of professor Ivo" Martian Manhunter speaks for Tornado in his monotone voice and my masked eyes widen in shock.

"Ivo? But Ivo's dead" Kaldur says in disbelief

"So we all thought Or hoped" Black Canary says solemnly.

"To make certain this threat is permanently neutralized, We're sending two trucks carrying the android's parts To two separate S.T.A.R. lab facilities in Boston And New York for immediate evaluation. Every precaution is being taken. We'll have 4 additional decoy trucks to create confusion In case Ivo or anyone tries to recover the remains. You will split into undercover teams To safeguard the two real trucks." Batman tells us.

"Yes! Road trip" Dick and I exclaim at the same time, me punching the air.

"So now we take out your trash" Superboy mutters angrily.

"You had something better to do?" Batman counters and I can just imagine the raised eyebrow that he has whenever Dick or I complain about cleaning the Batmobile. (Which happens quite often for some reason.)

"Coordinates received. On our way" Kaldur says, and we prepare to leave.

 **Lichfield County,**

 **August 3, 20:08**

I follow Robin and Superboy to Manhattan and Robin begins educating Superboy on his new word, 'aster'. I roll my eyes under my sunglasses and smile at my brother's antics.

"Canary. And what business does she have teaching combat skills To a guy with super strength?" He retorts angrily to something I didn't hear.

"Taking down stronger guys is part of the gig. Canary learned that the hard way." I tell him, trying to sound comforting.

'Same with Batman, Whisp and, well, me" Robin continues, then, he looks up in shock.

"Whisp, Robin, Superboy, our truck is under attack" Aqualad's voice comes over the comm.

"Kind of figured" I retort, slightly annoyed at the monkeys flying at the truck.

"I hate monkeys" Superboy growls.

"Robot monkeys!" Robin laughs "Totally Ivo's tweaked style. Hey, hey. Switch your ride to battle mode." Robin says to Superboy, seeing that my ride is already in battle mode.

"No point" he says as he jumps off of his bike, causing Robin and I to jump off of ours.

"Or not" Robin mutters, jumping off of his bike and grappling to the truck. I leap off of mine, using the air around me to steady myself. **(A/N think the blonde superman. You HOO fans know what I mean.)** The battle against the monkeys begins, Superboy pummeling them, Robin whipping out his ecsrima sticks and I use ice to freeze various parts of the monkeys.

"Huh? Wha- S-somebody, help!" The driver of the truck shouts in panic as the truck start to flip over.

"Get out!" I tell him, grabbing him under his arms and jumping into the nearby cornfield.

"Superboy!" Robin shouts and I see a few monkeys have our partner.

"Aqualad to Robin. We've lost our cargo. Did you- " Robin cuts Kaldur off.

"It's gone, and so is our partner" Robin says.

"Aqualad to Superboy. Radio your position. We'll help you" Kaldur addresses Superboy over the comms. I ignore the rest of the conversation, turning off my comm and begin to observe the monkeys, looking for something we could use to to track the other monkeys. I motion for Robin to come over and he does, observing the monkey and smirking when he realises he can track them using a GPS. Then, a message pops up on my wrist computer, it reads:

 **It's time. We need to be at the courthouse in an hour, they're having the hearing today. He wants custody, and they don't have charges against him.**

I show the message to Dick and sigh, biting my lip nervously.

"We're going to Gotham, that's where the parts lead, Kaldur is sending Wally. You can make a detour when we get there." And with that, he pulls me into a hug and I choke, a sob hitching in my throat as tears begin to creep out of my eyes. We part and head for our bikes, Robin changing out of his civvies and me attaching my cloak, I decided not to change for this mission. We jump onto our bikes and head to Gotham, the words of the message relaying in my head:

 **'He wants custody, and they don't have charges against him.'**

 _ **Breakline**_

 **Mwa ha ha ha! I have left you on a curious cliffhanger! Except the cliffhanger may be spoiled because, depending on when I can post this (because right now, I'm in the backseat while my Grandpa is driving across Mississippi, heading for my cousins in New Orleans, Louisiana.) So I may end up posting around three chapters all at once.**

 **5 hrs later...**

 **I'm posting because my cousins have WiFi!**

 **Anyways, Firecracker OUT!**


	7. Schooled: Part 2, Infiltrator

**Dear Guest reviewers/readers,**

 **I apologise for discrediting and being unnecessarily rude to all of you. What I put in the last chapter was over-the-top and Doc has sent me a PM telling me about how bad they feel as well. What was said was said in an incorrect and harsh way. It didn't convey what I truly wished to tell you, and I should have spent more time thinking about what it meant and how you would see it. I neglected to see the message through your eyes and for that I am truly sorry. I'm going to take it off of the chapter (if I haven't already by the time this is posted). -Firecracker**

 **What I should have said was:**

 **I feel like you have been rude in your reviews. Not in the reviews themselves (well, yes, in the reviews themselves too), but in the wording, I have always been kind in the meaning and wording if my reviews, even if it is constructive criticism. It would be much appreciated if you could choose kinder words to convey your meaning and if you also gave out some compliments as well.**

 **Is that better? I hope so. :)**

 ***grabs head in frustration* So, apparently, not everyone is getting my hints, so, I'm gonna spell it out for you. Here is the reason why Bruce openly revealed his secret. Actually, I hinted in the last (and in the second, though I doubt any caught it) chapter that she knew Bruce was Batman, so, here's the answer:**

 **Gudfader = Godfather**

 **One final thing...**

 **A friend of mine who has read my story was slightly confused on the whole 'Charles wants custody' thing, he wanted to know what the whole issue was... Or whatever. So, I thought I would explain to those of you guys who are confused. Adelaide had been living with Charles, her stepfather after her mom died, then, she ran away and ended up living with Bruce, her godfather. Now, Charles knows where Adelaide is, and wants both legal and physical custody of her, and there is a possibility of him getting it since Bruce hasn't adopted Adelaide yet. Charles did have physical custody before Adelaide ran away.**

 **Also, the episode 'Infiltrated' is also part of the main plot because reasons!**

 **Well, I think that's it!**

 **Whisp: Now, without further ado...**

 **Robin: The chess board is set, the pieces in place and the objective clear.**

 **Me: It is time to begin our little chess game...**

 _ **~X~**_

 **Gotham City Limits**

 **August 3, 21:21**

Wally meets up with us, Robin putting on his cheerful face, but I don't bother with one, letting my dark mood show through.

"So you changed, too?" Dick asks as Wally comes up next to us.

"You kidding? I feel naked in civvies." He says, shuddering slightly and I interrupt whatever he's about to say.

"Thanks, Kid, really needed that image" my voice is colder than it usually is and I can feel ice seeping through my gloves.

"You okay, Adela?" Wally asks, a frown appearing.

"Her stepdad has gone to court, requesting custody, B is there now, but he said that Charles had no charges against him" Dick fills in for me.

"Unless you count years of neglect, abuse and assault" I mutter darkly in reply.

"You still tracking the parts?" Wally asks, changing the subject.

"They were heading through Gotham, But they veered. Wait. Dude, they're at my school" Dick exclaims. We reach the turning point and I call out to them.

"Make sure you do enough so we won't have to start school on time!" And I turn, heading to the courthouse.

 **Gotham Courthouse, Gotham City**

 **August 3, 21:30**

I park my bike and change into my civvies in an alleyway, then, I run to the front of the courthouse, where Bruce is waiting.

"Are you ready?" He asks, and I can hear the worry in his voice, even though he is acting confident, it's just an act. I put on a confident face as well as we walk inside, the actual court is on the third floor, so we walk up the stairs, my stomach churning.

 **Gotham Courthouse**

 **August 3, 23: 48**

"The court has decided that custody of Adelaide will go to Charles Cloverdans" the judge announced, and with that, everyone stood up and prepared to leave. Tears began to slide down my cheek, clouding my vision and I began to sob, clenching Bruce's suit.

"Bruce," I choked, but before anything else could be said, he hugged me tight and whispered.

"I'll get you back, I promise" I could tell that he was holding back tears as well. I fell hands on my shoulders, yanking me back, away from Bruce.

"It's time to go" the raspy voice of my stepfather says coldly, and I look to Bruce, his blue eyes cold and harsh, narrowed into a glare, meeting the dull hazel eyes of my stepfather. I numbly allow Charles to drag me out of the courthouse, into his car and to his run-down apartment near crime alley.

"Your bed is where it used to be, I'm going out, but don't think everything is ay-okay. You ran away from me for over a year, and you're gonna pay for that" and with that, he slams the door closed and leaves to his other job, as a gang member for Two-Face. Or anyone else who will hire him, I can't say that I haven't enjoyed kicking his face in when I encounter him on patrol, which I plan on continuing.

 _ **~X~**_

 **Crime Alley, Gotham City**

 **August 7, 20:08**

Going out for patrol at night as Whisp is risky right now, so, I've been sneaking out at night in black leather jeans, a black hoodie, my leather fingerless gloves and my black converse. I've also been carrying around me phone and my comm in case I need to be contacted or contact anyone. Tonight though, I'm not taking down drunkards, rapists or random thugs, I'm go in on a nerve-racking stroll through Crime Alley to visit my younger brother-figure, Jason. He reminds me almost of Dick and Superboy combined, smart, agile, tough and angry and I've known him for awhile now. I met him when Charles and I first moved into that crappy apartment, he's a good kid and, when Charles found out about my fire ability, he threatened Jay's life. I couldn't let that happen (and I was fed up with Chuck), so I left.

"Jaybird?" I call out, hoping to catch his ear, and I do, a boy around ten pops out of a corner and runs to me.

"Carmin!" He shouts, using my 'street name', hey, I had to build a rep and 'Adelaide' won't cut it on the streets, it's kill or be killed... Not that I've killed, just paralyzed a few people here and there.

"Hey Jaybird, how are you?" I ask, ruffling up his hair and he gives me a toothy grin that morphs into a frown.

"Mommy's on the drugs again and daddy keeps coming home drunk, but last night the cops took him away" he tells me, scuffing his foot against the cracked pavement.

"It'll get better, Jay" I promise him, and hug him tight. Then, I hear the sound of the door to our apartment building slam, and I know Chuck is back. "Gotta go, see ya later" I say, turning and running over to the side of the building and I begin to climb the pipes, reaching our apartment before Chuck does. Quickly, I strip and change into loose, baggy clothes and lay on my flimsy mattress, thankfully, he doesn't bother me as I slip into a dreamless sleep.

 **Mt. Justice, Happy Harbor**

 **August 8, 16:47**

I exit the Zeta Tubes and am immediately attacked by a flurry of red, yellow and black.

"Car!" Robin shouts as he tackle-hugs me, and I hug him back. "I heard B lost the battle, Chuck was given custody until it could be proved he couldn't handle you! I didn't know if you were coming back to the team or if you had to stop being Whisp or anything!" He says, still hugging me.

" 'Kay, Robin, let go of me" I grunt, and he complies, allowing me to take in a deep breath. "Yeah, I can't do official patrol yet, Chuck might make the connection, and hopefully we can get some dirt on him." I say uneasily, _hopefully without it hurting me_ I think, biting my lip. Next, I'm attacked by M'gann and greeted by Kaldur and Superboy, and I assure than that I will be able to make the missions, and hopefully I can come back to the Cave more often. I go to change into my uniform and am greeted at the sight of GA, Bats, Tornado and a girl looking about my height and age in a green costume. We all line up when the zeta tubes activate.

"Recognized: Kid Flash, B03"

"The Wall-man is here! Now, let's get this party star-" he cuts himself off as he trips over his beach things. "-ted?"

"Wall-man huh? Love the uniform. What, exactly is your superpower?" The girl in green asks and I smirk, _I like her already_ I think as I watch Wally scramble up to his feet.

"Uh, who's this?" Wally asks us.

"Artemis, your new teammate" she says, hand on her hip.

"Kid Flash, never heard of you" he retorts, trying to look imitating in beach trunks, and failing.

"Wally, she's new to the gig and for the gods' sake, put on some actual clothing!" I defend Artemis and insult his attire, but it still feels off, and he can tell.

"Um" Ollie cuts in "she's my new protégé."

"What happened to your old one?" Wally demands and I can't help my annoyance, I'm a second protégé as well, and people just _have_ to compare me to Dick and Bruce.

"Recognized: Speedy B06"

"Well, for starters, he doesn't go by 'Speedy' anymore" Roy says and I tune out the Ollie/Roy drama and start humming 'Rat-A-Tat' by FOB. Although, I do get the part where Artemis is supposedly Ollie's niece, which I know isn't true, she looks like someone else I know, but I can't put my finger on it.

"Yeah, a reason named Dr. Sterling Roquette" 'Red Arrow' announces, pulling up holo-screens on the doctor.

-"Nanorobotics genius and claytronics expert At royal university in star city" Robin says, pulling up his wrist computer.

"Vanished 2 weeks ago" I put in my two cents.

"Abducted 2 weeks ago, by the league of shadows" RA corrects me and I narrow my eyes, I don't like to be corrected, especially not by gingers with attitudes.

"Whoa. You want us to rescue her from the shadows?" Robin asks, and I snort.

"Doubt it, Birdie Boy" I say to no one in particular, but Artemis hears and smiles at me, just barely.

"Hard-core" Wally says and they fist-bump.

"I already rescued her" RA tells them, sounding smug. "Only one problem. The shadows had already coerced her into creating a weapon. Doc calls it the fog, Comprised of millions of microscopic robots, Nanotech infiltrators Capable of disintegrating anything in their path- Concrete, steel, flesh, bone. But its true purpose isn't mere destruction. It's theft. The infiltrators eat and store raw data from any computer system And deliver the stolen intel to the shadows Providing them access to weapons, Strategic defense, cutting-edge science and tech." And of course, we have to clean up his mess.

"Perfect for extortion, manipulation, power broking. Yeah. Sounds like the shadows" Artemis cuts in, and I'm slightly shocked if she's a newbie, how does she know? 'You know it too, and more, and you're still a newbie' a little voice reminds me and I clench my teeth.

"Like you know anything about the shadows" Wally retorts, then, at Artemis's smirk "Who are you?!"

"Roquette's working on a virus to render the fog inert" Red Arrow tells us.

"But if the shadows know she can do that..." I trail off, worried for the woman's safety, because the shadows can and will find her if she's a threat.

"They'll target her. Right now, she's off the grid. I stashed her at the local high school's computer lab."

"You left her alone? Are you crazy?!" I ask him, eyes wide and mouth agape, not that he could see that from under my hood.

"She's safe enough for now" he insists.

"Then let's you and I keep her that way" Ollie suggests.

"You and I? Don't you wanna take your new protégé?" Jealous much, Roy-Boy?

"You brought this to the team. It's their mission, which means it's hers now, too." Batman says and I look at the clock on my glove. If this is a mission that runs late into the night, which, knowing us, it will, then Chuck will be pissed when he gets home and I'm not there. 'Please, let him encounter Bruce tonight' I silently plead.

"Then my job's done" and the ginger finally leaves... Oh, wait, we're still stuck with Wally, dangit!

"Recognized: Speedy-"

"That's Red Arrow, B06. Update." Now the ginger leaves, go with him, Wally!

 **Happy Harbor Highschool, Happy Harbor**

 **August 8, 21: 53**

 _ **"Miss Martian, link us up. We do not want the shadows intercepting our comm."**_ Aqualad states telepathically

 _ **"Everyone**_ _**online?"**_ She calls out through the link.

 _ **"This is weird."**_ Artemis comments from her place guarding the Doc.

 _ **"And distracting. Coding a distributive algorithm virus on a kiddie computer With less ram than a wristwatch is hard enough. Now I have to hear teen-think in my skull?"**_ Roquette asks, frustrated

 _ **"Lady, do you always complain when someone tries to help you?"**_ Wally asks, chewing on something.

 _ **"Pot, kettle. Have you met?"**_ Artemis asks and I smile as I walk past M'gann.

 _ **"Hey. Hey, I do not need attitude From the newbie who drove Red Arrow off the team."**_ I roll my eyes, why didn't Roy take Wally? That would have made this mission a lot quieter.

 _ **"Like you're in charge, no one cares whether you need it or not, it's there. Besides, I'm a newbie with an attitude, what difference does it make? Red left on his own, I didn't cause Robin to leave when I joined"**_ I point out, aggravated.

 _ **"You were different, babe, you didn't replace Robin. Artemis did"**_ Wally counters and I throw my hands up into the air, a spark dancing across them.

 _ **"That is so not on me"**_ Artemis exclaims.

 _ **"Damnit!"**_ I shout over the link, as the spark turns into a flame and melts the ice I try to use against it _**"It's no use! Wally has me too pissed!"**_

 _ **"Fate of the world at stake."**_ Roquette says, annoyed.

 _ **"She started it."**_ Wally exclaims.

 _ **"And you started this, I can't get it to stop!"**_ I think, worry and fear coming over me as the fire spreads down my wrist, but I can't calm down, thoughts already swarming around my head, fueling the fire.

 _ **"How 'bout I just help Miss Martian and Superboy patrol the perimeter?"**_ Artemis suggests.

 _ **"Good idea"**_ Aqualad agrees sharply.

 _ **"You might cut her some slack. It was her arrow saved your butt against Amazo."**_

 _ **"What? No, that was Speedy's- I mean Red Arrow's Arrow, right?"**_

 _ **"Not so much."**_

 _ **"Humph. Well, still not giving her the satisfaction."**_

 _ **"You know I can still hear you."**_

 _ **"While you idiots were arguing, I almost set M'ggan on fire as she was trying to calm me down, you can thank Wally for that"**_ I announce, calmed down after some telepathic help. I can practically hear the glare Robin sent Wally, and I can hear the small whimper Wally makes in response.

 _ **"I couldn't get the justice league"**_ Roquette sighs.

 _ **"The virus won't be of much use if we cannot find the weapon. Can you track it?"**_ Aqualad asks calmly, how the Harley is he so calm, all of the time?

 _ **"My utility fog is not a weapon. It's science, brilliant science, And of course I can track it, but I'd have to go online. Might as well rent a billboard with this address And "assassinate me" written in neon"**_ Roquette answers sarcastically.

 _ **"We will protect you"**_ Kaldur assures her.

 _ **"Tracking the fog now"**_ Roquette responds.

 _ **"That boy"**_ Artemis's voice comes over the link and I smirk, turning the corner I can see who she's looking at.

 _ **"Woah there, that's forbidden territory"**_ I tell her coming up behind her.

 _ **"He can hear you"**_ M'gann reprimands Artemis.

 _ **"We can all hear you"**_ Aqualad tells Artemis.

 _ **"Oh, I know"**_ Artemis says assuredly.

 _ **"Miss Martian, Dr. Roquette has located the fog. Reconfigure the bioship so that Whisp, Robin and Superboy can pursue."**_ Kaldur announces and I run to the ship, quietly.

 _ **"Ready."**_ She announces just as I get there. The three of us take off and I tap my fingers on the back of Robin's seat as he takes off.

 **Over Philadelphia,**

 **August 8, 22: 39**

We locate the next target and rush there, but...

"Robin to Aqualad. We're over Philadelphia. We've located the shadows' next target, Star Labs. We're too late, It's destroyed, Totally destroyed. The fog decimated it." Dick says, his voice shocked and upset.

"This is bad" I point out. "Star Labs is cutting-edge science, And now their secrets are in the hands of the enemy. What's our next move?" I ask Kaldur, biting my lip slightly.

"Rescan for that fog. Find it. We're moving the Doctor" he tells us and we cut the connection and begin to rescan.

"The next target's a Waynetech facility" Robin tells us, and I share a look with him, one that says _'Oh schist'_

"In theory, its systems software could be used to hack the -" I elbow Dick to shut up.

"The what?" Superboy asks, turning to look at us.

"Doesn't matter" I tell him, glaring at Dick for slipping up.

"Wh-what matters Is Waynetech operates a 24-hour workforce. We'll never evacuate the building in time" Robin continues, worrying because it just _has_ be the one in Gotham that is full of people we know.

 **Waynetech, Gotham City,**

 **August 8, 22: 56**

We lower and park the bioship in the foliage near the facility.

"It's downloading!" Robin announces, but Superboy sees something, or someone and charges.

"Don't need it!" He calls to us as he engages someone in battle.

"Superboy!" Robin calls to him, but I grab his arm.

"Rob, we need to hurry, we don't have a lot of time" I remind him, and we sprint into the facility.

"What in the- Hey! You can't come in here! Unauthorized entry!" A security guard shouts, I remember him, Daniel, I met him in late July when Dick and I had to stay with Bruce at work because Alfred was away.

"Waynetech override- Archie 4" we both shout at the same time, following the fog.

"What's goin' on? What are you doing?" Another staff member asks us as Robin and I rush to the nearest computer. I follow the fog with my eyes, watching as it destroys and I decide to form a barrier of air and steam to block it.

"Please be linked to the mainframe. Please be linked to the mainframe" Robin pleads as he hacks the computer. The fog is pushing against my barrier, but it hold for now, sweat beading down my forehead.

"Yes! The infiltrators have been outfiltrated" Robin announces as the fog begins to dissolve and I pull him into a hug. For about three seconds before I'm grabbing his head and rubbing my knuckle into his head, giving him a noogie.

"Lemme go" he tells me, his voice muffled.

"Not until you say it!" I tell him, laughing as I rub harder.

"Fine, I give, Uncle, Uncle!" He tells me laughing as I use the arm I have wrapped around his shoulder to tickle him. I let go of him and he sprints away, me on his tail, the both of us laughing as we go to rejoin Superboy.

"Well, I ought to go, Chuck should be home soon, if he isn't already and, well, we know how that goes," I tell him sombrely.

"Be careful, Car" he tells me.

"When am I not?" I joke, a half smile gracing my face. "See ya 'round, Boy Blunder, Supey" I say nodding, then, giving them a mock salute, I sprint off.

 **Crime Alley, Gotham City**

 **August 8, 23: 31**

I run quietly up the stairs of the apartment building and open the door to Chuck's apartment silently, I've already changed out of uniform and into some sweats.

"And where the hell have you been?" Chuck's raspy voice comes from the other side of the TV room. I close my eyes and slowly open them, biting my lip. I release my lip as I turn around to face him.

"I was out jogging" I say plainly.

"Since before I came back from work and after I got back from my night job?" He questions, standing up.

"I was out with some friends, had dinner, came back and went jogging" I say, trying not to loose my temper. "Now, I'm tired and would like to take a shower and go to bed." Chuck slaps me across the face.

"I ain't buying your bullshit, but I'm tired and probably drunk, so I'm gonna let it slide, one time, bitch, bit it, one time." He tells me and I steel myself, trying not of get angry and nod.

"Got it, one time" I say and walk into my 'room' and stuff my duffle bag under the floorboards under my 'bed' and go to sleep, not bothering to shower or change.

 _ **~X~**_

 **That's eleven pages, 3948 words spanning across two episodes, an apology and an in-between moment. I'm feeling pretty good about myself right about now.**

 **I just wanna say one more time that I'm really sorry about that message from the last chapter, and that it was my ignorance and error in judgement that caused this and I feel really terrible. Alfred made apology cookies for me to give to you (because my cookies are worse than M'gann's and I would probably kill you with food poisoning.) Here you go:**

 **( :: )** **( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: ) ( :: )**

 **Please, please, please forgive me. Please. :)**

 **We haven't done this in awhile, so...**

 **Wally: Stay Whelmed,**

 **Robin: Get Traught,**

 **Whisp: Feel the Aster and Crash the Mode**

 **Me: Firecracker OUT!**


	8. Relief

**Hello y'all I'm back!... And bored so I'm gonna try to write, sorry if this is late.**

 _Fires burn in the distance and near the houses, the house lays in ashes, the bodies are burnt and blackened. All but one._

 _"Mamma , nej, nej, mamma . Vänligen inte lämna mig ! Mamma , vakna! Vänligen!" I cry over the body of my mom,her body black, it is impossible to make out her facial features. I look up, and I see my stepfather not too far away, burnt but alive. I try to move, but them, I remember. A knife at my three-year-old brother's neck. The screams of my family. I lean back on my heals, putting my head in my hands. "Mamma , jag är ledsen . Mamma Jag är så ledsen . Jag , jag menade inte att . Lämna mig inte . Snälla mamma , förlåt mig." I mutter, rocking back and forth, treats streaming down my face, leaving streaks in the ash that covers my face. "Please ... Lämna mig inte ." I cry as a man finds me and takes me away._

 **August 13, 07:49**

 **Crime Alley, Gotham City**

I pull my knees to my chest and sob, letting out all of my pent-up emotion not noticing the small tremors that shake the floor, ever so slightly. The door opens, and Chuck comes into view, walking into my room.

"Shut the hell up brat!" He shouts, backhanding me, then he turns and leaves, slamming the door, causing the wall to shake and dust to rain down. I ignore this, wiping my eyes I mutter

"Mamma , förlåt mig . Jag lovar dig , jag kommer att leva ett bättre liv , ett du vill att jag ska leva." I sniff and pull myself together, getting ready for the day.

 **August 13, 20:43**

 **GCPD, Gotham City**

"There's been a breakout at Blackgate Penitentiary, several mob bosses have escaped" Gordon informs us from his place near the Bat-signal. Without a word, Robin, Batman and I turn to jump off the rooftop, the boys using their grappling hooks and me controlling the air current near my feet.

"So, finally back on patrol?" Robin asks me as I levitate near them, keeping pace.

"Yeah, and hopefully I'll be away from Cloverdans soon" I reply, venom in my voice at my stepfather's name.

"Well, he's bound to slip up soon, either on his night job, or on camera" Dick says, keeping a light tone.

"Hopefully on his night job, I'd rather not get hit. He hasn't left a mark yet, but it's not like it'll never happen" I tell him darkly. We cut conversation as we approach the newly formed riot on the streets, guns going off, people screaming. We immediately jump into the fray, taking down goons left and right. I stand back-to-back with Robin, the two of us fighting hand-to-hand against the mobs.

"Seriously, you guys call yourselves goons" Dick taunts as he drops another goon. "Duck" he warns me, and I comply as a knife whizzes over my head and I punch someone in the gut, dropping them.

"Gunner on your three" I tell him, seeing the gunner out of the corner of my eye as my hood falls. I can hear him kick out, hitting the thug in the gut as he turns to drop someone else. I hear the safety of a gun click off and I turn to the sound, eyes widening as the bullet is shot at Robin. I quickly go cold and shoot ice at the bullet, catching it and making it drop harmlessly to the ground. I turn to the shooter, a face I know well, but before I can do anything, a cable wraps around him, and he drops to the ground. Batman joining the fight at our position. The three of us separate, maneuvering around unconscious bodies as we drop more to the ground. Within fifteen minutes, we're surrounded with unconscious bodies, every other escapee long gone. I stalk over to the gunner that almost shot Robin in the head, and sure enough, it's Charles. I sigh in relief, my small smile hidden as I pull up my hood. I turn to see Bruce talking to Gordon, and the GCPD hauling away unconscious bodies.

"Well, we ended it" Dick says, coming up behind me and placing a hand on my shoulder. Dick grabs Chuck's unconscious form and we walk over to Bruce, Dick showing Charles to Gordon.

"Cloverdans, isn't he the one who won the court battle for his stepdaughter against Bruce Wayne?" Gordon asks as a nearby cop takes Charles by his collar.

"Yes" Batman replies; Gordon turns to Renee Montoya.

"When we're done here, get a social worker to go to Cloverdans' address and pick the girl up, take her to Wayne's place." After he says this, Batman, Robin and I take off, them hearing to the Batcave, and I head to the apartment building to change.

 **Crime Alley,**

 **20 minutes later...**

Someone - the social worker - knocks at the door and I rush to open it.

"Hello -" she pauses to look at my file "Adelaide Johnson. Earlier tonight, your stepfather was arrested and your file states that, if something were to happen to him, or if it was deemed unfit to live with him, you were to go live with your godfather. Pack your things, we're leaving tonight" she says, offering a kind smile.

"Sure" I say, and I walk into my room, grabbing my duflle bag and my suitcase, stuffing it full of of clothes and a few books. When I walk out, the social worker asks me if I'm ready to go.

"Yeah, but can I say goodbye to a friend of mine?" I ask, adopting a cute and innocent face.

"Sure" she sighs and I run out of the apartment.

"Jay?!" I call, and, like before, a mop of black hair pops up.

"I gotta go, kiddo. Chuck was arrested and I'm going to live with my godfather. I'll miss you." I tell him, ruffling his hair as he puts on his 'tough face'.

"Yeah, okay... You'll visit though?" He asks hopefully.

"Yeah, if I can. Stay out of trouble" I tell him, then I give him a two-fingered salute and run back to the social worker. I get into her car and we drive off to Bruce's house.

 **Wayne Manor,**

 **15 minutes later...**

The social worker drops me off in front of the door with my things and drives away. I grab my stuff and ring the doorbell, to which Alfred opens.

"Why hello, Mistress Adelaide" he says, smiling slightly as he holds the door open.

"Hey, Alfie" I reply, grinning back at him.

"I assume that you have not had dinner yet?" Alfred asks, taking my suitcase, I nod, then shake my head.

"I haven't had dinner yet" I tell him "or breakfast, or lunch" I mutter to myself, which earns a raised eyebrow.

"Well, that will not do, once your things are put where they belong, you shall have a proper meal." Alfred says, and I nod, my stomach growling; we turn to the sound of footsteps and Dick comes into view. "Master Richard, take Mistress Adelaide's uniform down to the Batcave, if you would" Alfred asks, and I give Dick my duffle bag, the two of us sharing slightly surprised looks.

"Mistress Adelaide, you will rind that your room is the same as you left it." I take this as my cue to leave and I take my suitcase up the stairs, putting everything away. When I come back down, Alfred has already has food on the table and Dick and Bruce are coming in from the Batcave. The table is set with my favorite -Spaghetti and meatballs and garlic bread. We all tuck in, and Bruce sends us to bed early, even though he knows we won't sleep.

"Knock, knock" Dick whispers at my door; I smile and open up the door for him. "You okay?" He asks, knowing me all too well.

"Not really, but I'll manage. But he's not really bothering me" I admit, hugging myself.

"What is?" He asks as we sit on my bed, I can tell he's going into 'protective big brother' mode. Even though I'm the same age as him... Okay, I'm younger by five days, but that's not that big of a difference.

"I've been having nightmares... About mom's death. And now, I'm wondering who my father is" I admit, yawning.

"Yeah, guilt isn't the easiest burden to bear. If it bugs you, we can try to find out who your dad is, but I can tell that you're tired, 'night" he says, getting up and exiting.

"G'night" I mutter, pulling the covers over me and falling asleep.

 **Hey! Sorry about not updating lately!**

 **Dick: she was busy, with other stories...**

 **Me: yeah. Oh, and sorry if it seemed kinda rushed, her liberation from Charles.**

 **Adelaide: He was simply a pawn in Wildfire's grand scheme.**

 **Me: that he was! Now, for translations**

 **Mamma , nej, nej, mamma . Vänligen inte lämna mig ! Mamma , vakna! Vänligen - Mom, no, no, mom. Please do not leave me ! Mom, wake up!**

 **Mamma , jag är ledsen . Mamma Jag är så ledsen . Jag , jag menade inte att . Lämna mig inte . Snälla mamma , förlåt mig. - Mom, I'm sorry. Mom, I'm so sorry. I, I did not mean to. Do not leave me. Please, Mother, please forgive me.**

 **Please ... Lämna mig inte - Please... do not leave me**

 **Mamma , förlåt mig . Jag lovar dig , jag kommer att leva ett bättre liv , ett du vill att jag ska leva - Mom, please forgive me. I promise you, I will live a better life, one you want me to live**

 **Me: Well, that was slightly depressing.**

 **Dick: Stay Whelmed!**

 **Adelaide: Get Traught!**

 **Dick: Feel the Aster!**

 **Adelaide: And Crash the Mode!**

 **Me: Wildfire out!**


	9. Denial

**Hey! I'm back! And, since I've been getting complaints about my OOC intros, I'm using my pets! And, by pets I mean my sister's stuffed animals because I don't want to insult my pets.**

 **Kitty: Oh, great, the psycho's back.**

 **Me: shut up! *throws Kitty at wall***

 **Monkey: Well, she's back and has a new chapter!**

 **Blue Shark: if you Flame her, I will find you and gut you like a fish!**

 **Me: Whoah there! No threatening the readers!**

 **Kitty: *gets up from floor* well, have fun reading this mess!**

 **Me: *stalks over* *throws Kitty across the room***

 **Monkey: *coughs***

 **Me: Oh yeah! I only own my OC's nothing else is mine! Happy reading!**

 **~Line~**

 **Wayne Manor, Gotham City**

 **August 19, 8:45 AM**

"Mistress Adelaide, if you are not downstairs in fifteen minutes I am afraid you will not have any breakfast today." Alfred's voice comes from my doorway and I groan, kicking my sheets off of my legs and stumbling out of bed. Fifteen minutes later, I'm sitting across from Dick in my pajama shirt and shorts, but somewhat awake.

"So, the Team has a day off, no missions, and I was thinking we could do something together, as a family." Bruce says, somewhat awkwardly; Dick and I share a glance and wide smiles.

"Sure!" Dick exclaims before diving into the plate of chocolate chip pancakes is set before him.

"Ditto on that one; but I want to go to training with BC this afternoon. I want actually be able to keep up in training with you guys." I say with a small laugh at the end and I too dive into my pancakes, though with less vigor.

"That's fine, you could use some extra training" Bruce agrees from behind his newspaper.

"Good luck with that" Dick says, laughing as he comes up for air.

"I'm a fast learner, Pixie Boots" I retort, throwing a life of bacon at him, which he catches and eats.

"Babs taught you that one, didn't she?" He asks after he finishes the bacon.

"Who else would've?" I ask, returning to my breakfast.

 **Mt. Justice, Happy Harbor**

 **August 19, 19:30**

"Recognized: Whisp B00" (A/N I changed her designation number so that it didn't mess with the ones from the show.)

"Hey, Car! Where's Rob?" Wally says, smiling.

"He's with B having some father-son time the three of us spent the morning together but I wanted to come in for training or sparring or whatever we're doing right now." I tell him and to the training circle to watch Artemis and Kaldur spar. I go over to stand by Megan to wait for Artemis as Wally speeds off to the kitchen; Kaldur comes out victorious in his and Artemis's spar.

"Kaldor's, uh, nice, don't you think? Handsome. Commanding. You should totally ask him out" Artemis says to Megan as Kaldur and Superboy begin to spar.

"He's like a big brother to me" Megan insists. "But you know who would make the cutest couple? You and Wally" we look over at Wally, who is currently stuffing his face. "You're so full of passion, and he's so full of, uh, of -" Megan trails off, unsure.

"It?" Artemis and I supply and the three of us burst into laughter.

"What about you, Carmina?" Megan asks, turning to me.

"Yeah, what about you and Robin?" Artemis asks and I nearly choke on air.

"You kidding?! Robin is literally my adopted brother!" I say once I recover "well, he will be when B finishes those papers" I mutter.

"Do you have a mission for us?" I turn my head to see Wally up next to Red Tornado.

"Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility" Red reminds Wally.

"Yeah. Well, the Batman's with the Robin doing the Dynamic Duo thing in Gotham, but you're headed somewhere, right? Hot date or a-a mission?" Wally asks desperately.

"If we can be of help" Aqualad adds.

"This is Kent Nelson, a friend. He is 106 years old" RT informs us. "And he has been missing for 23 days. Kent was a charter member of the justice society, The precursor to your mentors' justice league." Red pulls up a holo-screen depicting both Kent and Fate.

"Of course. Nelson was earth's sorcerer supreme. He was Doctor Fate" Miss M. says happily. 'How does she know that, I only know that because of Mama' I think to myself.

"Kent may simply be on one of his walkabouts, But he is caretaker to the helmet of fate, The source of the doctor's mystic might, And it is unwise to leave such power unguarded." Red says, and I agree.

"He's like the great sorcerer priests and priestesses of Mars. I would be honored to help find him" Megan says excitedly.

"Me, too" Wally says and I turn to him, disbelieving. "So honored I can barely stand it. Magic rocks." I narrow my eyes behind my sunglasses because it sounds like he just made up a half-assed lie.

"Take this" Tornado hands Kaldur a key. "It is the key to the tower of fate."

 **In the bioship**

"What are the chances we both so admire the mystic arts?" Wally flirts with Megan.

"So, Wally, When did you first realize your honest affinity for sorcery?" Artemis asks and I can tell, she's on to him.

"Well, I-I don't like to brag, but, uh, Before I became Kid Flash, I seriously considered becoming a wizard myself" Wally stammers.

"Another half-assed lie" I mutter to myself, but I can tell that Artemis, sitting in front of me, can hear me.

"We've reached Tornado's coordinates, but-" Kaldur trails off.

"Nothing's there" I mutter to myself as someone else states the same fact.

"Take us down" Aqualad orders Miss Martian.

 **Salem, Massachusetts**

 **August 19, 20:22**

"Nothing. This isn't simple camouflage," Wally says, speeding up to Artemis and I after running the perimeter.

"So what do you think, Adaptive micro-opto-electronics combined with phase shifting?" Artemis asks and I shake my head no as I pull up my holo-computer.

"No, I'm-" Wally cuts me off.

"Absolutely!" Wally exclaims, then, when M'gann comes up near him, he changes his mind. "Not. Clearly mystic powers are at work here."

"For once, Wally isn't wrong" I say, still looking at my holo-computer.

"I'm not?" He asks as Artemis exclaims "He isn't?!"

No, I've been scanning the area for any technological cloaking components, but none are present in the area we're searching. Instead I'm getting readings that are son file as 'mystical' " I tell them. 'Plus' I think 'Mama told me how-' I cut myself off mentally as I see Miss Martian giving me odd looks.

"You're getting better at this, babe" Wally says, a hint of pride in his voice.

"A test of faith" Aqualad decides; "stand behind me." He inserts the key and turns it, revealing the Tower of Fate. We all walk inside, the others marveling at the Tower while I stay on edge, checking for traps and tricks.

"Uh, where'd the door go?" Superboy asks as the door we just walked through slams shut and disappears.

"Greetings" a projection of Kent Nelson appears in front of us. "You have entered with a key, But the tower does not recognize you. Please state your purpose and intent."

Wally steps forward and opens his mouth, the cause of many problems on the Team. "We are true believers, here to find Doctor Fate." The hologram of Kent disapears with a slight frown and the floor beneath out feet opens up and we fall through, into a pit of lava. I try and use the air to form a cushion underneath me, but the air is spread too thin with the lava consuming it and all of us breathing. I take a deep breath and free-fall into the pit, hearing the air swish past my ears I laugh a bit.

"Carmina! Are you crazy?!" Artemis yells as I pass her and Aqualad who are clinging to the wall.

"Probably!" I shout back "I'm testing a theory!"

"By possibly falling to your death?!" She replies.

"Sounds about right!" I shout back as I plunge into the lava and surface, unharmed, just as Superboy hits the lava.

"Yaah! Those were my favorite boots. This Nelson guy better be worth it."

"How are you not dead?!" Artemis demands from the walls of the pit.

"I can control/create fire from heat in the atmosphere and my emotions and Br-Batman and Robin figured I might be fireproof... And if I wasn't, I might have been able to create a layer of air around me or channel the water in the atmosphere to put out the fire. We tested it on a smaller scale the other day so I figured now would be a great time to put it to the test on a larger scale." I tell her as panels slide over the pit; I grab one when it gets closer and pull myself onto it.

"You are crazy" Artemis decides.

"Gee, what makes you think that?" I ask sarcastically.

"This platform, it should be red-hot, But it is cool to the touch" Aqualad says, kneeling down and pressing his hand against the platform.

"Don't worry, Megalicious. I got you" Wally says and I roll my eyes and breath out sharply.

"Enough! Your little 'impress Megan at all costs' game nearly got us all barbecued" Artemis says, shoving him against the sides of the pit.

"When did this become my fault?" Wally asks innocently and I scoff.

"Half of the mistakes that happen on this team are because of you" I say under my breath.

"When you lied to that whatever it was and called yourself a true believer" Artemis says, confirming my belief that his belied was a half-assed lie.

"Wally, you don't believe?" Megan asks, sounding heartbroken.

"Fine! Fine! I lied about believing in magic. But magic is the real lie, a major load" Wally admits.

"Wally, I studied for a year at the conservatory of sorcery in Atlantis.

The mystic arts created the skin icons that power my water bearers" Kaldur tells him.

"Dude, you ever hear of bioelectricity? Hey, in primitive cultures, Fire was once considered magical, too. Today it's all just a bunch of tricks" Wally counters.

"Okay 1) this is no primitive culture, 2) it says on the friggin BATCOMPUTER that Kaldur's skin icons and water bearers are in fact magical. 3) how do we know my powers aren't magic-based can science create my powers that are constantly evolving?" I ask him.

"Well, er, Batman could, um, be wrong" Wally says sheepishly, rubbing his neck and I laugh. "And you were in CADMUS for a while, they could've given you someone's DNA."

"No, they couldn't have, I've had powers since I was a little kid! You should know this Wally! I know Robin told you what happened!" I'm close to tears now, screaming at him. "No, I was born with them and they created a living hell for me!" I'm vaguely aware that my hands are ablaze and that both M'gann and Kaldur have backed up slightly. Artemis places her hand on my shoulder, giving me a somewhat calming look and I take a deep breath. "Anyways, I'm pretty sure they're based in magic," and with that, I walk away.

"You're pretty close-minded For a guy who can break the sound barrier in his sneakers" Artemis says, a venomous undertone in her voice.

"That's science. I recreated Flash's laboratory experiment, and here I am. Everything can be explained by science" Wally argues.

"Let us test that theory" Kaldur gambles, opening the hatch.

"Wait! The back-draft from the lava will roast us alive!" Wally shouts in warning.

"It's snow" Megan laugh, reaching out to touch it, and I smirk at Wally.

"Do you ever get tired of being wrong? Well?" Artemis prompts him to try to make a scientific explanation.

"Ever hear of string theory? We're in a pocket dimension." Artemis and I share an exasperated look.

"What's that?" Megan asks, pointing to a floating cane.

"Ooh. Maybe it's Nelson's magic wand" Wally says sarcastically.

"I got it" Artemis and Wally say in unison "I can't let go!" They panic and I they to use the blowing snow and air to lift me up towards them. Unfortunately, I'm tired from fireproofing myself, and I sway in the air, and I fall to the ground, Superboy catching me just before I hit. We start to trudge across the cold landscape, in search of an exit.

"I don't understand Wally. It's almost like he needs to believe the impossible can't happen" Megan says to no one in particular.

"Wally uses his understanding of science to control what he cannot comprehend. Acknowledging the existence of magic would be to relinquish that last vestige of that control." Kaldur explains and I scoff slightly and let out a small laugh, everyone turns to look at me.

"Not only that, but he's a hardheaded ass who can't accept when he's wrong" I add and get some small smiles.

"Um, Carmina?" Megan asks timidly.

"Yeah?"

"What did you mean when you told Wally that your powers created a 'living hell' for you and that he knew 'what happened'?" She asks quietly and I sigh.

"I- let's just say that I couldn't always control my powers and something bad happened." I tell her and we walk in silence until we find another portal. We walk in and fall to the floor below, and I can see Wally, Artemis and Kent, but I'm blasted to the side with a stream of energy. Though still tired, I take a deep, calming breath in and sit cross-legged on the ground. When I breath out, I look at a 1970's reject with a wand and a strong gust of air hits him, knocking him over. I begin to feel light-headed and i close my eyes, clutching my head. (A/N this actually happens to me when I breathe out too fast or stand up from a sitting position [or from laying down to sitting up] too fast. It sucks.) We battle him, but all end up trapped beneath nets of electricity. And, since I do stupid things when I can't clear my head, I kept try into get up... Until I passed out from shock-therapy.

 **Later, in the Batcave... Because Batman**

"Ugnh" I groan, sitting up.

"Hey, Adela" Dick says, next to me.

"Hey Dickiebird, how long was I out?" I ask him, swinging my legs over the medical cot and onto the floor.

"Not long half an hour, forty-five minutes" he says, shrugging; we start walking up the stair into the manor.

"Is Wally still denying magic?" I ask him.

"Yep, but he texted me telling me that there is a possibility that magic is real, also he wanted me to tell you that he's sorry. What's that about?" He asks me as I steal a few M&M's from him. (Aqua, Loopis expect an M&M theif at our next 'gathering'.)

"You can hack my com later, you wanna watch a movie?" I ask, sitting on the couch and popping in my 'Night of the Museum: Secret of the Tomb' DVD, not waiting for his answer. He hops over the back of the couch and, once he settles down, I lean my head on his shoulder, his arm draped over my shoulder. We watch the movie all the way through and, when Alfred tells us to "head up to bed young Masters" we race upstairs, shouting:

"I ride on the back of nature's most fearsome creature! I ride, the Squirrel!"

 **~Line~**

 **New chapter! Sorry if the last part seemed OOC, but I really wanted to include that, I recently watched the movie.**

 **Shark: review or I'll tear your throat out!**

 **Me: stop with the treats! Those are for Henley and my sister only remember?!**

 **Shark: oh, yeah, sorry heh heh**

 **Monkey: we would like it if you would review please.**

 **Me: Wildfire OUT!**


	10. Downtime

**So this will be a shorter chapter, seeing as there isn't all that much to go off of.**

 **Monkey: She might even be updating twice today!**

 **Shark #2: This is because she's using her grandparent's laptop, and not her tablet.**

 **Shark #1: No more waiting, get on with it!**

 **Me: Fine, fine. I don't own Young Justice *sobs in corner***

 **~Line~**

 **Mt Justice, Happy Harbor**

 **August 27, 07:58**

Weary and muddy after our battle with Clayface, the Team trudges into the Cave, to see Batman waiting for us.

"I need to talk to Aqualad. The rest of you, hit the showers and head home" Batman orders.

"Head home?" Superboy retorts as he passes Batman "I am home." The rest of us walk by without a complaint except for Dick and Kaldur, who stay behind. I decide to wait for him in the shadows of the room.

"Just Aqualad" Batman orders, eyes narrowing slightly at Robin. Dick huffs, annoyed as he walks over to me.

"C'mon Bird Boy," I tell my almost brother, clapping him on the shoulder, then, smiling I ask him "race you home?"

"Last one through the tubes after cleaning up has to forfeit their cookies" he challenges, tensing up.

"Deal" I agree, and we take off.

 **~Line~**

 **The Batcave/Wayne Manor, Gotham City**

 **August 27, 08:13**

"I win" I state smugly, standing on the other side of the Batcave's Zeta Tube.

"How-" Dick asks, open-mouthed.

"When I was a kid, there were seven of us living off of one person's salary, we took cold, fast showers" I tell him, smirking. "C'mon, we've got some time to kill, Bruce is probably back at Wayne Enterprises by now and Alfred's out shopping. There has to be something we can do, right?" Apparently there isn't, because we played video games for three hours, had lunch then Dick went straight to the gym while I took Ace out for a stroll around the property. After that, I went to join Dick in the gym; eventually, Alfred called us out for dinner, and Dick, Bruce and I ate in silence. Bored, I went to the library to read, Bruce went to his office and Dick probably went back to the training room.

 **August 27, 20:04**

"Just Aqualad" Dick grunts, lifting himself into the air on the rings as I practice my back handspring on the nearby mats. He flips off, trying to land on a training dummy, but slipping off; he tries to smooth out his landing by doing a back handspring, but he's unbalanced and hits his back against the wall. In frustration he punches the concrete wall, leaving a dent. Lifting up from my back walkover, i both wince in sympathy and whistle in admiration.

"Ahem," Alfred clears his throat from the doorway "Master Bruce wishes to see you." Dick and I exchange glances and shrug, following alfred out the door and to the backyard. When we get there, Bruce throws a basketball at Dick, who catches it.

"What's this?" Dick asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Training. Hand-eye coordination" Bruce tells us.

"Two on one?" I ask, a hint of excitement in my voice.

"If you two think you can handle it" He replies, and with identical smirks, Dick and I accept our Guardian/Father's challenge.

Later that night, after a somewhat slow patrol, I walk into my room, ready to collapse when I see a few sheets of paper set atop my covers. Eyes widening, I grab the papers and read and reread them, smiling a smile so huge the Joker would be jealous. I turn around to see Bruce in the doorway and I fly at him, wrapping my arms around his neck, leaving my feet dangling in the air.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I exclaim excitedly into Bruce's ear.

"Welcome to the family, Adelaide, officially" Bruce says, hugging me back.

 **~Line~**

 **Well, hoped you liked that very short chapter!**

 **Bear: She might update later too.**

 **Shark #2: She'll at least start the next chapter later.**

 **Monkey: Has anyone seen Kitty?**

 **Everyone else: No...**

 **Shark #1: *comes in* I finally did it! Kitty has been silenced!**

 **Monkey: You KILLED her?!**

 **Shark #1: No, she's just hanging above a bunch of spikes and shredders.**

 **Monkey: Oh, okay then.**

 **Me: Stay Whelmed, get Traught, feel the Aster and Crash the Mode!**

 **Bear: Noted.**

 **Me: *ignores Bear* Wildfire OUT!**


	11. Bereft

**Bialian Desert, Bialya**

 **September 5th, 08:17**

I wake up, my head pounding and my memories fuzzy; I groan as I sit up, taking in the hot, dry daytime desert air.

"Var ... var är jag?" **(Where... where am I?)** I mutter, taking in the desert landscape. "Vad jag bär?" **(What am I wearing?)** I ask myself, looking down to see a black armored bodysuit with bright decor, black boots, a utility belt and a black cloak. I lift my hands to my eyes to feel a domino mask like the one Robin wears. "Robin ... gudfader Br-Batman. Arbetar jag med dem nu?" **(Robin... godfather Br-Batman. Am I working with them now?)** I get up and stumble around a bit, my most recent memory of being kidnapped fresh in my mind. 'Why did they let me go?' I wonder to myself as I trudge through the sand. I hear the rumbling of an engine and I quickly hide behind a large pillar of sand, simultaneously catching a glimpse of a holo-computer. Soon after the vehicles pass, Robin jumps down from his perch and I follow in suit, landing with a soft thud onto the sand.

"Robin" I call to my friend.

"Carmina -What are you wearing?" He asks, turning around.

"Honestly, I have no clue, but it's killing me in this heat" I tell him, shrugging my shoulders and pulling down my hood, revealing my wavy brown hair in a long braid, halfway down my back.

"Wait- what's this" Robin says, picking up a ripped piece of cloth.

"Isn't that Superman's 'S' shield?" I ask him, looking over his shoulder at the insignia.

"Technically, it means 'hope', but yeah, only his colors aren't black and red" he corrects me and I roll my eyes.

"I'm getting a serious sense of Déjà Vu looking at this" I say as he puts it into his utility belt and we walk on.

 **Later that night...**

"Wish I could remember why I put a GPS marker here" Robin says to himself as he looks over the ridge of sand. "Huh! Guessing that's why" I look over to see a large metal machine sitting in the sand.

As we head down there, people like the ones in the trucks we saw earlier pop out of the sand. One of them shouts words in another language before starting to fire on us. **(This is where the Bialian soldiers shouted "Her Majesty wants him alive!" and "Enough! Open fire!")**

"I'll hold that" a blur comes past, grabbing all of the guns. "Thanks!"

"KF! Man, it's good to see a familiar face." Rob exclaims, slapping 'KF' on the back; I elbow him in the ribs. "Er, another familiar face" he corrects.

"Hey, Rob. Memory loss?" Kid Flash asks, pulling out of the 'bro hug' "wait, who's this?"

"6 months. This is Carmina. Let's hogtie these creeps and compare notes." And they do, a Martian and a green archer coming down to where we are. The Martian - introducing herself as Miss Martian and the archer as Artemis - explains all that she remembers. "So we're a team?" Robin asks.

"The five of us and Superboy" Miss M affirms.

"Then this must be his" Robin says, pulling out the cloth piece we found.

"Yes! Did you see him?" Miss Martian asks excitedly.

"I think we did" Artemis says, meaning her and Kid Flash.

"Feral boy? Some teammate. He attacked us" Kid Flash says, somewhat angrily.

"He didn't know who we are. I don't know who we are" Artemis defends the teammate she doesn't remember.

"I remember Batman ordering radio silence. Our team must work for him" Robin hypothesizes.

"How do you know we don't work for my mentor?" Kid Flash says, tapping his chest, changing the color scheme of his suit to red and hello instead of red and black. "Whoa, this is so cool!"

"We look ridiculous" Artemis says, looking at her costume. "Quit touching yourself! We need our memories back."

"It would help us find Superboy" I add, and the next thing I know, Robin, Artemis, Kid Flash and I are in a weird landscape, filled with broken scenes.

"I brought you into my mind To share what I've remembered so far.

But I need your help. Together, Our broken memories can form a whole, If you open your minds to mine" Miss Martian explains, coming in from the... Up.

On instinct, after hearing this I mutter "pieces of broken memories" to a melody, though I don't remember why. **(^-_-^)**

"You want to paw through our private thoughts?" Artemis demands.

"I have no wish to intrude, but-" Miss Martian says carefully.

"We need to hack our minds to grok what happened to us. Got it. Go" Robin says, surprisingly calm; I nod to Miss M.

"Just try not to pry... Try not to see into our personal lives." I tell her, glancing at Robin out of the corner of my eye.

"Oh no, the memories from the Team should be enough to supply memories for everything else." Miss M assures me.

"My brain's all yours. Try not to let its brilliance overwhelm you" Kid Flash says, as if it would be overwhelming.

"Or underwhelm you. Hey, why isn't anyone ever just whelmed?" Robin ponders.

"Take the last 6 months only, and only what you need" Artemis says, somewhat uneasily. Glowing blue arms/hands come from Miss M's head and attach themselves to ours.

 _"The watchtower detected an immense power surge in the bialyan desert. Spectral analysis revealed elements non-terrestrial in origin. Find out what happened at that site, what landed there. Bialya is a rogue state ruled by Queen Bee, and not a member of the League's U.N. Charter. All communications are subject to interception, maintain radio silence at all 'll land in Qurac on Bialya's border." Batman tells us, standing in front of the holo-screens in the Cave._

 _"All clear" I inform the rest of the team._

 _"The Bialyans control the site" Kid Flash says._

 _"Set up here" Aqualad orders._

 _"We'll be up and running in no time" Robin says, setting up._

 _"Jackpot! The site's lousy with zeta beam radiation" Kid Flash exclaims._

 _"Detecting non-terrestrial trace elements from the tent" I report._

 _"I'll check it out in camouflage mode" Miss Martian suggests._

 _"Good idea. Go" Aqualad agrees._

 _"Careful" Superboy cautions._

 _And maintain telepathic contact" Aqualad orders._

 _"I will, Aqualad" Miss Martian assures._

"Aqualad!" We all exclaim at once.

"Where is he? What happened next?" Artemis asks.

"I don't know! That's the last thing I-we remember" Miss Martian admits.

"Ehh. We landed 24 hours ago. If Kaldur'ahm's been wandering the desert that long, well, that's not good for a guy with gills" Wally deadpans.

"Now that I know to look for him..." Dick pauses as he looks for Kaldur. "He's close! But he's not moving." We all set out to find him, and when we do, he's delirious, muttering in what I assume to be Atlantean.

"I can't restore his memories in this condition" Miss Martian admits worriedly.

"He needs immediate rehydration." Robin orders "Call the bioship."

"It's out of range, but you can get him there fast" Miss M says to Wally.

"He's too heavy, and I'm too low on fuel. Right now, I couldn't even carry her." Wally motions to either Artemis or I, I can't tell.

"Why not just levitate him back?" I ask, confused.

"I can't. I have to find Superboy, 6 months ago, he didn't exist. He has no memories- just animal impulse. I'm the only one who can help him" Miss M says, and I know she's right.

"Superboy's indestructible, just ask those 's Aqualad who needs your help. Like, now" Wally tells her, casing a worried glance at our teammate.

"No! Superboy's in pain!" M'gann exclaims, clutching her head and flying off.

"Wait! We still don't know what erased our memories! It could happen again!" Robin calls after her, but it's no use, she's gone.

"Whisp, can you try to rehydrate Kaldur?" Artemis asks me, and I shake my head.

"There's not enough moisture in the air without making it even worse for us, but I can try a little bit" I tell her before taking a deep breath. I close my eyes and concentrate, taping into my hydrokenetic powers until I can feel the water molecules in the air. I'm vaguely aware they my hands are going from two lose half circles to clenched, clawed hands facing each other. I'm able to form two small drops of water, three inches in diameter before stopping.

"I can't do much more, this is my most advanced power, but I can't tap in deep enough. Sorry" I apologize. "But, I can levitate him, though it would be pushing it" I add.

"No" Dick says sternly. "Your 'pushing it' is using your powers until you pass out from exhaustion. We don't need you to end up unconscious like Kaldur. Jag vet att du är mer trött än du låtsas om. Inte pressa dig själv" **(I know you're more tired than you're letting on. Don't push yourself.)** We soon found an old stretcher and put Kaldur onto it, soon, we come across Bialyan soldiers.

"Quick, over there" Robin says and we hide behind a mound of sandstone.

"Shh. Kaldur, quiet now" Artemis shushes Kaldur as he begins to mutter in Atlantean.

"We can't risk a firefight with Aqualad KO'ed like this" Robin whispers and I nod my agreement.

"It's not just him, I'm way out of juice" Wally says tiredly. I hear no more as Robin and I slip off, him setting out Bird-a-rangs as I cover him.

We come back just in time to hear: "Oh, like you're the goddess of congeniality" from Wally.

"Yeesh" Dick says "Get a room."

"Dude, where were you two?" Wally asks.

"Breaking radio silence" Dick answers.

"Covering him, that's our cue. Move!" I tell them as Robins Bird-a-rands go off. WS manage to get Kaldur to the bioship and get him rehydrated.

"I've got Superboy" Miss M comes over the mind link. "He's back to normal, and we're on our way."

"Who are you, and how did you get inside my head?" Aqualad demands, waking up suddenly.

"Hello, Megan" I can practically hear M'gann hitting her forehead. "Aqualad's memories! I knew I forgot something."

"Aw, man." Wally complains "Me, too, I didn't get a souvenir from the mission."

"Don't worry." Megan says "Got the souvenir thing covered."

 **The next morning at Wayne Manor . . .**

"I hear you had a little problem with your mission" Bruce says, putting down his newspaper.

"Just a small blip, we ran into another telepath and had out memories of the last six months erased. Then, the rest of the memories came back on a wild sequence of dreams. Well, they did for me at least" I tell Bruce, trying to act casual.

"Yeah, that's what happened to me too" Dick says, playing with his cereal.

"You kids okay?" Bruce asks.

"Yeah" Dick says with a small shrug.

"I'm fine" I mumble, lifting a spoon to my mouth. Even though I'm not fine, not close.

 **~Line~**

 **There you go!**

 **Bear: Look for this symbol: (^-_-^)**

 **Shark #2: Tell Wildfire in the comments/reviews if you know what that's from.**

 **Monkey: Stay Whelmed, get Traught**

 **Shark #1: Feel the Aster and Crash the Mode!**

 **Me: Wildfire OUT!**


	12. Paint the Town Green

**Please pull up the song 'Paint the Town Green' by The Script. Please do not play it unitk the que in the story, thanks and... NO SPOILERS FOR YOU!**

 **So, since Robin is off fighting Kobra in the episode "Targets"-**

 **Shark #1: According to YJ Wikia.**

 **Me: I'm skipping that episode.**

 **Shark #2: Because it makes sense that Whisp would be with Robin.**

 **Me: Quit interrupting me!**

 **Sharks #1 &2: Sorry.**

 **Me: Thanks. And, because I didn't want to skip two episodes, I'm doing a filler,**

 **Bear: In the form of three gingers, an ebony and a brunette at a boring gala.**

 **Me: Seriously?! What is it with you guys and interrupting me?!**

 **Monkey: Who knows?**

 **Me: Whatever. Let's get on with it!**

 **Kitty: And Paint the Town Green!**

 **Me: Shut up!**

 **Disclaimer: Consider it disclaimed.**

 **~Line~**

 **Wayne Manor, Gotham City**

 **September 17th, 11:25 AM**

"Mistress Adelaide I am well aware of the fact that you do not wish to participate in Master Bruce's gala, but I'm afraid you must." Alfred says, just outside my door, and I groan on despair, looking into the mirror once more. My hair is in a braid, wrapping around my head in a crown and I'm wearing a leaf-green dress with a light outer layer and a simple, slightly darker inner layer.

I tuck a small strand of hair behind my ear, and walk out the door, nearly bumping into Dick, who's long slave shirt is the same leaf-grren as my dress.

"Woah, hey Adela" Dick says, putting his hands up so I don't run into him. "I see Alfred finally coerced you into wearing a dress" he says, wit a hint of a smirk.

"Shut up, my only other choice was no hero-ing AND no cookies! How was supposed to refuse?" I ask him as we walk to the ballroom where the Wayne/Queen charity gala is being held. Bruce, Ollie, Roy, Barry and Wally are already in the ballroom; scratch that, Wally is attacking the kitchen. "Why are Barry and Wally here again?" I ask no one in particular when Dick and I reach the small cluster of hosts and guests.

"Ollie invited us" Barry tells me before speeding off to the kitchen, where an echoing "Masters Wallace and Bartholomew!" And the smack of a wooden spoon could be heard.

Within minutes, the ballroom was full of rich, snobby socialites drinking cheap champagne and gossiping. Then there was Selina, Bruce, Barry, Ollie and Jim and Barbra Gordon, who were being decent people. This left Barbara Wally, Dick, Roy and I quite uncomfortable. Especially Dick and I, since most of the gossip revolved around "Wayne's charity case children". We were standing in the corner near the punch when one of the 40 year old rich women with too much makeup and jewelry came over to us.

"And who might you be, miss-" she asks me with false politeness.

"Jag är ledsen, men jag har ingen önskan att tala med irriterande, falska kvinnor såsom dig själv." **(I'm sorry, but I have no wish to speak with annoying, false women such as yourself.)** I tell her, cocking my head to seem as if I don't understand her; I look to Dick and Wally, both who are trying not to laugh, Roy and Barbara seeming as confused as the woman.

"I'm sorry for my sister, her English is limited and she can't understand it very well" Dick says, choking back laughter.

"Oh, I see" she says, turning around, muttering something about "retarded foreign children". Wally, Dick and I burst into laughter once she's lost in the crowd.

"What did you say?" Roy asks, turning to us.

"She- she said 'I'm sorry, but I have no wish to speak with annoying, false women such as yourself'." Wally says between laughter, Barbara smiles and Roy allows himself to smirk.

After tricking the guests with thirteen different languages including Dutch Irish, Gaelic, Arab, Mandarin, Russian, and German, the five of us began to bore.

"Hey Dickie, I just remembered, today's a very special day, how long will it take you to set up the speakers in the back room?" I ask him, a glint in my eyes.

"Oh, five, ten minutes, not long, why?"

"It's been fifteen years since my parents first met and my Mamma and I have- had a very special tradition for this day. Please?" I beg him.

"Sure" he says and we start walking to the back room where the speaker system for the ballroom is kept.

"Will this get us in trouble with Bruce?" Wally asks nervously.

"No, he knows about this tradition, hell, he's been there when I did it with Mamma, back when..." I trail off, a lump in my throat.

"Wait, didn't your mom die four years ago?" Roy asks, and I nod "so how does Bruce know?"

"He's my godfather, he knew my Mamma and he helped her... Adjust after a mishap. I've known him most of my life, he helped Mamma get back on her feet and was like a second father to me" I say, choosing my words carefully.

"What about Charles?" Barbara asks "Wasn't he your stepfather?"

"Yeah, but he was never there for me, hell, he was barely there for his own kids. Oh look, we're here" I say, changing the subject "you three stay here" I tell Wally, Barbara and Roy as Dick and I slip inside.

( **Ten minutes later . . .)**

Dick and I emerge from the back room, satisfied with our work, and the four of us head to the half of the ballroom where Bruce is almost done with a speech. When he's done, Dick and I stand atop the table, where everyone can see us.

"If you value formality or don't care about a daughter's memoir to her deceased mother and unknown father, leave now" Dick announces, and everyone but Ollie, Barry, Bruce, Commissioner Gordon.

"Good, West, Harper" I say, and a screen falls down, and a projector warms up. "Hit it, Babs." **(Now is the time to play the song. Also, I need you to imagine a mom and her daughter painting the wall green, a concert bathed in green light, a mother and a daughter sitting in a field, smiling and a woman dancing while her husband's head is turned to her, watching as she dances, obscuring his face from the view of the camera. Sorry, I couldn't show you the pictures live I could for those on Wattpad.)**

"Was that your mom?" Barbara asks, smiling as the music plays.

"Yeah, and that last one was of my parents at their wedding" I say, smiling as well.

"Then why-" Wally asks, but I cut her off.

"My father had to leave her, his parents forced him to" I say softly, remembering how my mom talked so fondly about her year of marriage with my father.

"Hey, better memories here!" Dick says as he plays the song again and everyone steps out onto the dance floor, even Bruce. Dick danced with Selina, Barbara danced with her father, Barry, Ollie and Wally danced (horribly) by themselves. Roy watched everyone with a smile on his face and I got to dance with Bruce, like the past time we did this with Mamma. And no, it was not a 'formal' type of dance, it was a very odd and happy dance.

 **~Line~**

 **So this was fun to write.**

 **Monkey: Fun Fact: Adelaide's heritage is based off of Wise_Girl's.**

 **Me: Yep! Only hers is more defined... Kind of.**

 **Shark #2: Ooh! Ooh! Can I give away the heritage spoilers? Please?**

 **Me: Sure, why not?**

 **Shark #2: Yay! Adelaide's mother was born and raised in Sweden, and her father was half Irish and half Navajo. He was raised in Dublin, Ireland with his mother while his father was still in America.**

 **Shark #1: That will come in later in the story, for now, wait.**

 **Shark #2: Adelaide's mom moved to Dublin, Ireland when she was 20, after her parents were killed.**

 **Me: Her parents met in Dublin - as the song alludes to - and there were fireworks, until they were torn apart.**

 **Bear: Perhaps by his parents or perhaps for another reason, maybe it wasn't just her father, but also her mother that tore Adelaide's parents apart.**

 **Me: After Adelaide was born, bother her mother and her father moved to America, her mother to start anew, and her father to explore his Navajo roots.**

 **Kitty: They never met again! Now, before you get any ideas, Wise_Girl's heritage is much more messed up.**

 **Me: Oh yeah, mostly Swedish, but there is some Native American - either Sioux or from somewhere in Philadelphia - then, we can only trace my dead grandfather's side of the family back to Virginia, after that, we're lost. But we do know they were Irish.**

 **Side note: this song makes me feel happy about my Irish roots and really, it can relate to anyone's roots, despite the setting it portrays. And that's what this chapter is really about, family and your family's roots.**

 **What are your roots?**


	13. Homefront

**Gotham Academy, Gotham City**

 **September 22, 8:00 AM**

I turn from my spot with Bette, Barbara and Dick as Bette sees Artemis walking in through the gates, tugging at her skirt. I nudge Dick, who smirks; I decide to walk up to Artemis with Bette.

"Artemis, I'm Bette, your new student liaison. Welcome to Gotham Academy" Bette says once she reaches Artemis.

"Thanks. I'm Artemis. But you knew that" Artemis says with sheepish humor.

"Hey, Arty" I say, tapping her on the shoulder.

"Who- oh, hey Adela" Artemis says as I pull her into a hug.

"You know her, Adela?" Bette asks as we pull out of the hug.

"Yeah, we used to live near each other after..." I trail off when Dick comes to my rescue.

"We'll laugh about this some day" he says, popping up and taking a selfie with Artemis and I.

"Uh, who's that?" Artemis asks, after Dick slips away, disoriented.

"A freshman" "my adopted brother" Bette and I say at the same time. "Ignore him."

"I didn't think you had any other siblings" Artemis says, confused as Bette, Arty and I walk on.

"He's the adopted son of my godfather, now my adopted dad" I tell her.

 **Later . . .**

"Artemis?" Robin asks in mock surprise, and I roll my eyes under my hood.

"Robin? Whisp?" Artemis asks. "I, uh-"

"How random that you're in Gotham City instead of Star City where your Uncle Green Arrow lives?" Robin asks, I lean over to him.

"Aren't you laying it on a bit thick" I whisper.

"I'm, uh, here to see my cousin, she was in the state spelling bee. Here. In Gotham City" Artemis says, stuttering, uncomfortable.

"Never mind" I whisper to Dick.

"C-O-O-L. Did she W-I-N?" Dick asks, trying not to laugh.

"N-O" Artemis says, narrowing her eyes.

"D-R-A-G" Robin says, sympathetically.

"Yeah. Let's just go to the cave" Artemis says, changing the subject.

"Ladies first" Robin says, bowing, and at Artemis's reluctance, I step forward, flashing them a 'peace' sign.

"Recognized Whisp, B-00" right away, fire blasts at me, and I roll to the left, forgetting that I could become fireproof, though it might not hold in my panic. 'What the Hell?! How did someone get into the cave?' I think frantically as I hear the computer announce Dick's arrival.

"Recognized Robin, B-01."

"Move, Boy Wonder!" I shout, ducking a stream of water in shock.

"Recognized Artemis, B-07."

"Get down!" Dick shouts at Artemis and I spot a jetstream of fire come at me. I steel myself and get hit, full-force with a stream of fire.

"Who are we fighting?" Artemis asks, shooting an arrow blindly.

"Don't know, but we're sitting ducks by these tubes" I shout, bending the water shot at me backwards.

"Head for the exit" Robin tells us, but we are blocked by streams of both fire and water."

"Or not" Artemis says in response to the streams just before we are swept away by the water. We grunt as we hit the wall, my head pounding from where it made contact with the rock surface. We run out of the way as fireballs are shot at us from the hangar. It's when we enter the weight room that Dick decides to contact the team.

"Robin to team. Come in" he says, a hand to his ear as we run, trying to get out of plain sight

"M'gann, can you hear me? Are you there?" Artemis calls out mentally as we run through the room. Oh, and did I mention we're being chased by a friggin TORNADO OF FIRE?!

"Robin to Batcave. Override RG4" Robin calls out his override, trying to reach Bruce as we run into the locker room.

"Cave calling Justice League. H-O-J slash Watchtower. B-00. Priority ray," I shout as we run to the showers.

"Comm is down. Locked" Dick says as he turns on all of the showers. "At least the water's helping. Or not" he adds after the water gets out of control, bursting the pipes and filling up the room. Following Robin, Artemis and I swim over to a nearby wall watching as Dick places explosives and sets them off, sending us into the hallway.

"We need to get lost," Robin says, panting as we run into the kitchen.

"The air vent!" Artemis exclaims and I sprint over to it as my brother announces:

"Good. Go!" And Artemis follows me, helping me get the cover off.

"What are you-" Artemis trails off and after looking over at Robin I answer for him.

"He's downloading Cave blueprints" I stop short at the sound of metal clanking against the floor and jump into the air vent.

"Go left" Robin instructs us as we reach our first crossroads... Crossvents? Na, I'll just go with crossroads.

"Too close" I grunt as Robin barely makes it out of the way of a stream of fire.

"Take the first right. There should be a vent cover right in front of you" Robin instructs and, upon reaching said cover, I take it off, sliding into the boiler room. "This way" He tells us after we exit the vents and we run down the stairs, stopping at the sound of pipes clanging. A fiery figure resembling a female lands on a catwalk and makes a small mushroom cloud of fire that makes me want to whistle in admiration.

"That's not good" I state as the machines in the boiler room start going wild.

"I know that other access tunnel is here somewhere" Robin says, pulling up his holo-computer after pulling Artemis behind a machine, saving her from a fireball.

"You mean this one?" Artemis asks from the access tunnel and Robin turns, placing an explosive on a machine. I follow him into the tunnel, hearing rapid beeping as I do.

"Hold on" Robin says, using a Bird-a-rang to pry open a metal box and connecting a USB cord to one of the plug ins. "Locking out Cave's motion and heat sensors to prevent the enemy from tracking us."

"And I ask again, who is the enemy?" Artemis asks, Robin agitated while I sit behind them and shrug.

"Let's find out. Downloading cave security footage. There" he says, successfully bringing up security footage from earlier in the day.

 _"Torque wrench." Wally asks, fixing a bike and Megan complies "Thank you, Green Cheeks."_

 _"I have been meaning to ask" Kaldur says, walking up to Wally, Megan and Connor. "Any problem juggling schoolwork with your responsibilities here?"_

 _"No" is Connor's answer._

 _"Juggling's just one of my many talents" Wally replies. "Socket wrench."_

 _"Daily cheerleading practice has presented a challenge" Megan admits, levitating the requested tool to Wally "Oh, but my first loyalty is always to the team. This team, not the Bumblebees."_

 _"Artemis starts school today, do you think she will have trouble maintaining her loyalties?" Aqualad asks._ I narrow my eyes, 'what's he getting at?' I wonder mentally. I look over at Robin and Artemis, who look taken aback and annoyed respectively.

 _"Nah, she'll manage all right" Kid Flash says, standing up "I mean, how much more hostile and annoying can-" the ginger is cut of by and explosion._

"What happened?" Artemis asks.

"Explosion took out the camera, I'll find another angle" and he trys, only finding small clips before the cameras are taken out. "That's it all four are dead" Artemis and I look at him in surprise and he corrects himself. "The cameras, I-I meant the cameras, I'm sure the others are OK. Just give me a sec to find the fastest route to the hangar."

"Yeah, they're fine, they've all got superpowers, they can handle anything" Artemis trys to reassure her self, sitting next to me.

"And we're two ninjas, and ninja in training with exhausting superpowers" I tell her, placing a gloved hand on her shoulder. "We'll be fine" I assure her.

We exit a tunnel into the library. "There's a secret passage behind one of these bookcases" Robin announces as we drop down to the catwalk and run down the stairs.

"Seriously? Cliché much?" Artemis asks as we run to the book cases.

"You should see the Batcave" Dick and I respond at once, a smirk coming over my face as I distract myself with the many clichés on the Wayne estate.

"Artemis, Robin, Whisp" a robotic voice calls out, familiar yet different.

"It's Red Tornado" Artemis says, stepping out from behind the bookcase, a grin on her face that quickly disappears.

"Yes, on the Red, no, on the Tornado!" as Dick tackles her, pulling her under a table. We move out of the way, almost running into yet another red robot. This female one shoots fire at us and we run aside, jumping atop the bookcases.

"Who? What are they?" Artemis asks as Robin and I drop down, my brother finding the right bookcase. Just before they are sent toppling down onto us, Robin pulls the right book and we fall into the passageway. "Did either of you know Tornado had siblings?" The blond archer questions as we enter a hallway.

"No" we respond simultaneously.

"So now what? Red Tornado is one of the powerhouses of the League.

How are we supposed to take down two of him?" Artemis demands, stopping Robin from going down another corridor.

"They do seem pretty user unfriendly" Robin jokes, using it as a way to try and relive tension. It doesn't work.

"Don't joke, they-" Artemis reprimands before getting cut off.

"Attention, Robin. Attention, Artemis. Attention Whisp. You have exactly 10 minutes to surrender, or the lives of your teammates will be extinguished." The voice of the male robot comes over the Cave speakers, the three of us exchange worried and grim looks at the announcement.

"Eight minutes" is announced as we run to the only logical place our teammates could be, the hangar.

"We can access the hangar from here" Robin says, then water comes rushing toward us.

"Or not" I state grimly.

"Will you two please stop saying that?" Artemis demands as we turn and run. Our efforts are in vain as we are engulfed in the water, I insert a rebreather and unclip my cloak as Robin does the same, swimming over to Artemis with an extra rebreather. Artemis gasps in fear as the male robot swims up and grabs her ankle, in a small surge of protectiveness for my friend, I kick the robot as hard as I can (which is very difficult to do underwater) as Robin stabs it with an arrow and pulls Arty out of Red's grasp. We surface in the hangar and only get a small warning of

"Look out!" From Wally as we are attacked by fire. We go under, surfacing once more by where Kid Flash and Superboy are being held.

"You guys OK?" Robin asks once he catches his breath.

"Forget us. Help M'gann" Superboy insists.

"Aqualad, is she-" Artemis calls out, her voice wavering and on the brink of crying.

"She is unconscious" Kaldur reports, looking at the fallen teammate in his arms. "I fear she- we cannot survive much longer." After this, we are attached once more by fireballs and swim to the edge of the hangar. We surface and run up the stairs, the red water robot surfacing not long after us, his 'sister' landing behind us.

"I'm almost out of arrows" Artemis informs us.

"Distract her, now" Robin orders and we try to, Artemis shooting an arrow as I focus on my anger at her, shooting her with a powerful blast of fire. Not my best idea, but I thought it would be possible to fight fire with fire. We jump back into the water as Fireball and Jetstream (I need better names than 'fire/water robot') shoot their respective elements at us. We enter yet another tunnel, gasping for air when we swim high enough to reach any.

"Six minutes" Jetstream announces.

"What do we do now?" Artemis asks once we regain our breaths.

"We save them" I say, confidently.

"That's how it works" Dick adds and we share light grins.

"Maybe that's how it's supposed to work, but those robots already took out our four super-powered friends" Artemis argues angrily.

"You seem distraught" Robin states calmly.

"Distraught?! M'gann is dying! We have no powers, Whisp can barely use hers and I'm down to my last arrow! Of course I'm distraught!" Artemis nearly shouts at Robin and I cringe, trying not to go down memory lane at the sounds of shouting.

"Well get traught, or get dead" Robin says, his voice deadly calm yet icy and I flinch.

"How can you two be so calm?" Artemis demands, her voice wavering as if she were trying not to cry.

"Practice" Robin and I say at the same time.

"I've been doing this since I was nine" Dick continues.

"And I've been in way too many life and death situations to be comfortable with" I add in.

"What good is that now? What chance do we have against unrelenting machines?" Artemis demands.

"Oh. Duh. They're machines. And one electromagnetic pulse will shut down any machine within range" Dick says, turning to us and I slap my hand against my forehead.

"Great. Except one of you better have an EMP emitter in your utility belt because I know I don't have one in my quiver" Artemis says with a hint of sarcasm.

"We're fresh out" Dick admits. "But I'm betting we can make one.

What do you say, KF? Doable?" Robin asks over the com.

 **"Totally doable."** Wally responds.

"Five minutes."

 **"You know, if you had more time"** the ginger geek corrects himself.

 **"Med lab, X-ray machine"** Wally instructs as we enter the med lab.

 **You'll find a small vacuum tube called a vircator that converts high energy pulses. Reprogram the unit's microwave conversion from X-rays to EMPs, with a cascading energy vector directed outward."**

"A ripple effect. Like dropping a stone in a pond" Robin sums up.

 **"A stone with 10 to the twelfth power of wattage, yeah"** Wally agrees.

"So I'll need to hook it up to the cave main generator" Robin says to himself.

"Which is where?" Artemis asks.

"Four minutes." Jetstream announces.

"Okay. Make with the distraction" Robin cues FK and Connor.

"Hey, red tomato! Who's your girlfriend, Red Onion?" Wally taunts.

"Yeah, and by the way, worst death trap ever! We can escape any time we want" Connor shouts.

"I can vibrate my molecules out of here before your binary brains can count to two" Wally bluff, because, no, he can't.

"Cover me" Robin whispers to Artemis and I, I keep my eyes on the machines, hoping that they'll stay distracted long enough.

"And you can't drown a Kryptonian, dumb bots. We don't breathe air" Superboy continues, as Robin swings over to the main generator and honestly, I have no idea if Kryptonians breathe air or not.

"Aha ha ha ha ha!" Wally laughs, sounding like a dying duck. "And Miss Martian? I can't believe you're buying her act."

"Yeah." Superboy agrees. "You know how hot it gets in the caves of Mars? That cage is just making her homesick."

"Duh! Ha ha ha!" Wally exclaims, once more sounding like a dying duck, or maybe a dying goat or sheep.

"Robin, look out!" Artemis screams and I turn to look at my brother, who has become encased in a tidal wave. Artemis screeches as I pull her down, avoiding a fireball but costing her her last arrow. We retreat back into the air vent, narrowly avoiding a blast of fire; we come to a stop near a hole in the air vent, giving us a perfect view of my unconscious brother.

"Robin" I mutter, my voice hitched on a sob as I try not to turn into a little girl again. As I try not to relive the death of my family, besides me Artemis gasps and backs into the wall, clutching her head. It's then when I realise I need to keep my cool and help Artemis through this, because if I can, we might be able to still save our team.

"No. No, no, no, no. No, no, no, no" Artemis sobs and I move to comfort her.

"I surrender, I die with the others. But if I find a way out, out of the cave out of the mountain I can get help! Call in the League" she says, crawling through the vents and I follow her as she tries to keep herself upbeat. I go to say something, but we fall and I'm interrupted.

"Three minutes."

"Uhh. Who am I kidding? Best I can do is hide, hope the League finds me before the reds." Artemis says, laying on the floor of the trophy room, she gets up and surveys the room, holding the mask of Cheshire and muttering something to the mask of her sister.

"One minute."

"You thinking what I'm thinking, Blondie?" I ask smirking as I explain my plan rapidly.

"I surrender. Stop the clock" Artemis says, her throat hitching as she goes to hand in her bow, she jumps up, kicking the Reds in the faces as she shoots her last arrow. From the vents I use the air around the arrow to propel it into it's mark across the hangar and it hits, completing the circuit for the EMP.

"Kaldur, how's M'gann?" Connor asks once the Reds are down and the water and fire have receded. I hear this just as I run into the hangar.

"She breathes, I believe she will recover. What of Robin?" Ka!due asks and I kneel next to him, across from Artemis.

"He -He's breathing, too" Artemis says as Dick begins coughing.

"Way to get traught" Robin says, and I envelope him into a bone -crushing hug. "Ca-n't br-ea-the!" He chokes out and I loosen my hold on him, whacking him upside the head as well.

"You idiot! I though you were dead! I, I though I was alone again" I tell him tears welling in my eyes behind my mask.

"You still would've had B" he tells me, hugging me back.

"That doesn't mean I wouldn't have missed you" I inform him.

 **~~~•~~~**

"Figured my only shot was to "surrender," pretend to drown before I actually did. Blacked out, though" Robin says after I released him.

"M'gann" Connor says, reaching for her hand, which she allows him to grab. 'They are so a couple'. I think to myself, smiling.

"I'll be fine" Megan assures him.

"Will you quit playing with that thing and cut us free already?" Wally demands.

"It's not working, genius. EMP shuts down all machines, remember?" Artemis reprimands him.

"All machines present at the time. What has occurred?" Red Tornado asks, announcing his arrival.

"Had a little visit from your family" I say, a bit of venom in my voice.

"Your extremely nasty family" Artemis adds.

"I was not aware I had relations" Tornado confesses.

"Where have you been?" Superboy demands.

"Monitor duty on the Watchtower, when it became clear cave communications were down, I attempted to investigate. But your Zeta tubes were also nonfunctional, I transported to Providence and proceeded here" Red Tornado fills us in.

"Hey, boy" Connor says to Sphere who had been reactivated.

"The pulse has worn off" Robin says worriedly. And he has a right to be worried because at that point Red Tornado turns on us, sucking the air out our lungs allowing us to pass out.

 **~~~•~~~**

"What happened here?" Superman asks, supporting Artemis as she regains consciousness.

"What happened?! The Reds happened! Tornado and his... Wait, where are they?" Artemis asks, furious.

"Gone. All three of them. Gone" Dick says darkly from next to me as I lean against Batman, who is supporting me. When we get home, I'm taking a VERY long nap before patrol.

 **~~~•~~~**

 **Me: I am really, really tired. MyuMyu4ever and DREWdKING know why.**

 **Bear: Speaking of DREWdKING, welcome him to the psycho squad!**

 **Monkey: Sorry it took so long, she had camp and then she had visitors from Japan and a bunch of crap.**

 **Shark #1: You guys are lucky she managed to update today.**

 **Me: I need a nap. Yours in demigodishness and all that, Peace out!**


	14. Hiatus Kind of

**I'm on a sort or Hiatus for this book, I'll only update during Winter, Spring and Summer breaks since A) I have other books so its not like I'll be completely inactive, B) it takes a lot of time to write this and make it fit the episodes word for word and C) I want to make it better and by the time winter break is here, my writing will be better, meaning better quality for you guys.**

 **Also, I was wondering if I should post my HP/PJO and Harry Potter stories from Wattpad onto here, what do you guys think?**

 **If I don't get any responses, I might post them because I feel like I've been neglecting my account here.**


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